title: Promoting appropriate drug use through the application of the Spanish drug-related problem classification system in the primary care setting.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  According to the Second Consensus of Granada (2002), the term drug-related problem (DRP) is defined as a health problem resulting from pharmacotherapy and is considered a negative clinical outcome (ie, a therapeutic objective is not achieved or adverse effects are reported). DRP classification systems used in primary care settings can be useful tools to detect, evaluate, and resolve DRPs.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To encourage appropriate drug use in the ambulatory clinical setting through DRP detection and evaluation by means of the Spanish DRP classification system, and to document how pharmacists can help resolve DRPs through interventions with both general practitioners (GPs) and patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Four pharmacists investigated DRPs in polymedicated patients over a 6-month period. All detected DRPs were grouped into 3 major categories: necessity, effectiveness, and safety. To resolve DRPs, pharmacists performed interventions on GPs and patients. GPs received verbal and written information about DRPs; patient interventions were in the form of private meetings on health education.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Four hundred twenty-two patients, 80% of whom were aged 65 years or older, were included in the study. Each patient was taking a mean +/- SD of 8.1 +/- 2.4 medications. Three hundred four medications were associated with 245 DRPs; medications indicated for digestive/metabolic or cardiovascular pathologies were the most prevalent. Most (60%) of the identified DRPs belonged to the effectiveness category, whereas safety issues accounted for 28.6%. The most frequently reported DRP was pathology resistant to treatment (19.6%), followed by nonadherence (16.3%). Of the 215 interventions carried out to resolve these DRPs, 173 (80.5%) were addressed to GPs, who agreed to change therapy regimens on 90.2% of the occasions. Forty-two (19.5%) interventions were addressed to patients. Furthermore, the interventions accepted by GPs and patients resolved 176 (82%) DRPs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The current Spanish DRP classification system is a useful tool to systematically detect and document DRPs in daily general practice. In addition, the interventions addressed by pharmacists to GPs and patients resolved most of the detected DRPs.
authors.affiliation: Centro de Salud de Olivenza, Olivenza (Badajoz), Spain.
authors.forename: Marciana Alodia
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Gómez
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Villafaina
authors.forename: Jesús
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hernández
authors.forename: Rosa María
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Salgado
authors.forename: Miguel Angel
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: González
authors.forename: Jesús
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rodríguez
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Martínez de la Concha
authors.forename: Alejandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tarriño
authors.forename: Guillermo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gervasini
authors.forename: Juan Antonio
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Carrillo
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003157:Community Pharmacy Services; D064420:Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions / Q000145:classification* / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010821:Physicians, Family; D055553:Prescription Drugs / Q000145:classification*; D011320:Primary Health Care; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D055553:Prescription Drugs