[Review of the interference between the most commonly prescribed drugs and clinical analyses at the Primary Health Care Centre of L'Hospitalet de Llobregat].
OBJECTIVE
To analyse the concordance of published information on probable drug interactions and the results of clinical analyses.


METHODS
Bibliographical review of the 50 most commonly prescribed drug products at the Primary Health Centre of L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain, in 2002 and 2003.


METHODS
Six bibliographical sources consisting of drug product catalogues and reference books.


METHODS
Interference with the 56 drug products studied.


RESULTS
Most theoretical interference belonged to the therapeutic group of anti-inflammatory drugs. The drug products with most interference were hydrochlorothiazide (diuretic) and gliclazide (lipid lowering). The most frequent interference was in the increase of transaminases, thrombocytopaenia, leukopaenia, hyperglycaemia, and hyperuricaemia. Only in 12% of the points of interference analysed was the rate of concordance among the various bibliographical sources reviewed higher than 50%. The highest rate of concordance was found in the diuretics.


CONCLUSIONS
Consultation of a single bibliographical source does not necessarily ensure the obtaining of reliable data on possible drug interference. This study demonstrates the need to standardize information on drug interference and to include the medication that the patient follows on the analysis application form.
Vargas
R
R
Laboratorio Clínico L'Hospitalet, ICS, Universidad de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
Torné
N
N
Travé
P
P
March
M
M
Rodríguez
G
G
Calero
S
S
D004347:Drug Interactions; D006761:Hospitals; D011320:Primary Health Care; D013030:Spain