European Journal of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences

POTENTIAL DRUG INTERACTIONS IN PRESCRIPTION OF HEART FAILURE PATIENTS ASSISTED IN A PRIMARY PUBLIC HEALTH UNIT IN MARINGÁ, PARANÁ, BRAZIL

Juvenal Egger Neto, Ivan Murad, Heitor Augusto Otaviano Cavalcante*, Gabriel Fernando Esteves Cardia, Larissa Laila Cassarotti and Roberto Kenji Nakamura Cuman

ABSTRACT

Purpose: The aim of this study was to detect probable drug interactions from elderly patients with heart failure in a primary health care. Methods: A cross-sectional study involving standardized of Electronic Health Records by the health department from patients with heart failure. The sample was screened using as criterion the use of digoxin to evaluate drug interactions it was used the Micromedex database 2.0, whose focus was only the interaction among digoxin with other medications. To define probably inappropriate medications the Beers criteria was used. Results: Heart Failure patients currently use polytherapy. From the analyzed patient records, we found that 62 (95.38%) contained important drug interactions, such as High Risk or Moderate Risk with higher prevalence in males (71.43%) and (71.05%) of women with High Risk interactions. When standardized conduct was considered by each type of drug interaction with digoxin and the electronic records analysis was observed a non-compliance with pre-established protocol treatment. Conclusion: Drug interactions were due to errors in medication prescribing, errors in dose management and others factors. It is well known that there is computerized physician order entry able to help the physician in his therapeutic approach in a multidisciplinary health patient assistance.

Keywords: Heart Failure, Drug Interaction, Prescribers, Unit Health Care.