Risk of drug interactions and their possible solutions in the population of patients with inflammatory bowell disease

Overview

Concurrent use of several medicinal preparations is connected with an increased risk of the occurrence of drug interactions. This study analyzes the complete pharmacotherapy of 573 patients diagnosed with inflammatory bowell disease. An analysis of the medication of the cohort of patients tested identified potential drug interactions of all degrees of gravity. All drug interactions in the study were considered to be only potential, and therefore they are not known to cause any complications for the patient. An important factor in the process of revealing drug interaction may be the pharmacist during dispensation in a pharmacy. Pharmacist’s expertise of the problems of drug interactions is a component of his/her professional competence and should be continuously intensively increased in postgraduate education. This study is not limited to simply stating the occurrence of potential drug interactions. It is also focused on the management of drug interactions from the party of the physician and the pharmacist and attempts to outline the way of encountering this problem.

Key words:
drug interactions – inflammatory bowell disease – Crohn’s disease – ulcerative colitis