Potential drug-drug interactions in paediatric outpatient prescriptions in Nigeria and implications for the future.
BACKGROUND
Information regarding the incidence of drug-drug interactions (DDIs) and adverse drug events (ADEs) among paediatric patients in Nigeria is limited.


METHODS
Prospective clinical audit among paediatric outpatients in four general hospitals in Nigeria over a 3-month period. Details of ADEs documented in case files was extracted.


RESULTS
Among 1233 eligible patients, 208 (16.9%) received prescriptions with at least one potential DDI. Seven drug classes were implicated with antimalarial combination therapies predominating. Exposure mostly to a single potential DDI, commonly involved promethazine, artemether/lumefantrine, ciprofloxacin and artemether/lumefantrine. Exposure mostly to major and serious, and moderate and clinically significant, potential DDIs. Overall exposure similar across all age groups and across genders. A significant association was seen between severity of potential DDIs and age. Only 48 (23.1%) of these patients presented at follow-up clinics with only 15 reporting ADEs.


CONCLUSIONS
There was exposure to potential DDIs in this population. However, potential DDIs were associated with only a few reported ADEs.
a Pharmacology Department , Lagos State University College of Medicine , Ikeja , Nigeria.
Kazeem Adeola
KA
Oshikoya
b Pharmacology, Therapeutic and Toxicology Department , College of Medicine, University of Lagos , Idiaraba , Nigeria.
Ibrahim Adekunle
IA
Oreagba
c Division of Clinical Pharmacology , Karolinska Institute , Stockholm , Sweden.|d Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences , University of Strathclyde , Glasgow , United Kingdom.
Brian
B
Godman
b Pharmacology, Therapeutic and Toxicology Department , College of Medicine, University of Lagos , Idiaraba , Nigeria.
Fisayo Solomon
FS
Oguntayo
e Department of Pharmacology , Ekiti State University , Ado-Ekiti , Nigeria.
Joseph
J
Fadare
f Faculty of Pharmacy , Niger Delta University , Wilberforce Island , Nigeria.
Samuel
S
Orubu
g Department of Clinical Pharmacology , School of Medicine, University of Botswana , Gaborone , Botswana.
Amos
A
Massele
h Paediatric Department , Lagos State University College of Medicine , Ikeja , Nigeria.
Idowu Odunayo
IO
Senbanjo
D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D000962:Antimalarials / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004347:Drug Interactions; D064420:Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006769:Hospitals, General; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009549:Nigeria / Q000453:epidemiology; D010045:Outpatients; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
D000962:Antimalarials
Drug: drug interactions; Nigeria; adverse drug events; clinical audit; pediatrics