Pilot Study: Assessment of Drug-Food and Drug-Drug Interactions in the Outpatient Settings

Background: A drug-drug interaction arises when the pharmacologic effect of a medication is changed by the action of other medication causing unexpected clinical effects. Drug-drug interactions are widely known but the identification of the consequences of food and drug interactions has been growing slowly. Aim: The present study aims to describe the occurrence of drug –food and drug-drug interactions in the outpatient settings in Riyadh city. Methodology: A retrospective study was piloted in Riyadh city. The prescriptions were reviewed to identify potential drug - food and drug–drug interactions using Drug Interactions Checker. Results: About 16.16% of the prescriptions included a drug - drug interaction. The most frequent interaction was the interaction between ciprofloxacin and metronidazole (25.00%) that is a minor interaction. Regarding drug – food interactions there were 40 interactions, the majority of these interactions were moderate. The most common drug - food interactions were metronidazole with food (20.00%) that is a major interaction. Conclusion: Drug interactions with other drugs or with foods are common. These interactions could have a beneficial or a harmful effect. Physicians and pharmacists should use programs that detects the drug interactions.