title: Incidence of Potential Drug-Drug Interaction and Related Factors in Hospitalized Neurological Patients in two Iranian Teaching Hospitals.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Reciprocal drug interactions are among the most common causes of adverse drug reactions. We investigated the incidence and related risk factors associated with mutual drug interactions in relation to prescriptions written in the neurology wards of two major teaching hospitals in Shiraz, southern Iran.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data was collected from hand-written prescriptions on a daily basis. Mutual drug interactions were identified using Lexi-Comp 2012 version 1.9.1. Type D and X drug interactions were considered as potential drug-drug interactions. The potential risk factors associated with drug-drug interactions included the patient's age and gender, number of medications and orders, length of hospitalization and the type of neurological disorder. To determine potential drug-drug interactions, relevant interventions were suggested to the physicians or nurses and the outcome of the interventions were documented.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The study comprised 589 patients, of which 53% were males and 47% females, with a mean age of 56.65±18.19 SD years. A total of 4942 drug orders and 3784 medications were prescribed among which 4539 drug-drug interactions were detected, including 4118 type C, 403 type D, and 18 type X. Using a logistic regression model, the number of medications, length of hospitalization and non-vascular type of the neurological disorder were found to be significantly associated with potential drug-drug interactions. From the total interventions, 74.24% were accepted by physicians and nurses.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Potentially hazardous reciprocal drug interactions are common among patients in neurology wards. Clinical pharmacists can play a critical role in the prevention of drug-drug interactions in hospitalized patients.
authors.affiliation: Health Policy Research Center, Department of Pharmacotherapy, School of Pharmacy, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran;
authors.forename: Soha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Namazi
authors.affiliation: Research Center for Traditional Medicine, and History of Medicine, Department of Pharmacotherapy, School of Pharmacy, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran;
authors.forename: Shiva
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pourhatami
authors.affiliation: Clinical Neurology Research Center, Department of Neurology, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran;
authors.forename: Afshin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Borhani-Haghighi
authors.affiliation: Vice Chancellery of Research and Technology, Center for Development of Clinical Studies, Nemazee Hospital, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
authors.forename: Sareh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Roosta
keywords: Drug-related side effects and adverse reactions; Neurology; Risk factor