title: Assessing patients' information needs regarding drug-drug interactions.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess patients' information needs regarding drug-drug interactions (DDIs) to inform patient DDI education resources.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Online (United States in May 2011).
  
  
  METHODS
  Registered users of an online medication monitoring service (MediGuard).
  
  
  METHODS
  Online questionnaire.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants' information needs regarding DDIs and perceived importance of questions related to detecting and preventing harm from DDIs.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Characteristics of the 100 surveyed participants were as follows: 57% women, 88% white, 96% non-Hispanic, 71% retired, mean (±SD) age 65.2 ± 9.7 years (range 35-86). The number of prescription medications ranged from 2 to 22 (median 7) and the number of over-the-counter (OTC) medications from 1 to 10 (4). The most common concerns cited by participants were identification of interacting medications, seriousness of DDIs, interactions with OTC medications, interactions with foods, exacerbating comorbidities, short- and long-term adverse effects, signs and frequency of DDIs, and how to minimize adverse effects. Statistically significant differences based on gender, number of prescriptions, and number of OTC medications were observed in rankings of the importance of some DDI questions ( P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patient-centered DDI education programs should consider addressing the seriousness of DDIs, the effect of DDIs on comorbidities, and interactions with OTC medications and foods and determining methods for identifying, minimizing, and managing DDIs.
authors: College of Pharmacy, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA. mutebi@pharmacy.arizona.edu
authors: Alex
authors: A
authors: Mutebi
authors: Terri L
authors: TL
authors: Warholak
authors: Lisa E
authors: LE
authors: Hines
authors: Rose
authors: R
authors: Plummer
authors: Daniel C
authors: DC
authors: Malone
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004347:Drug Interactions; D016903:Drug Monitoring; D005260:Female; D018565:Food-Drug Interactions; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D004366:Nonprescription Drugs / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods*; D055553:Prescription Drugs / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012737:Sex Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States
chemical_list: D004366:Nonprescription Drugs; D055553:Prescription Drugs