STUDY OF DRUG RELATED PROBLEMS IN COMMON NEUROLOGICAL CONDITIONS AND INTERVENTION BY CLINICAL PHARMACIST IN A TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL

Background: Drug-related problems are an ongoing, potentially harmful event that can affect the health of an individual. Various underlying health conditions and multiple drug uses are some of the factors contributing to drug-related problems (DRPs). This study aimed to determineDRPs in common chronic neurological conditions and intervention by clinical pharmacist in a tertiary care hospital, India. Methods: In this prospective study, the data of hospitalised neurological patients during December 2022–February 2023 were enrolled. Electronic medical databases and patient medical charts were used as data sources. Baseline characteristics were correlated with DRPs using Cramer’s V correlation. The DRPs were classified using Pharmaceutical Care Network Europe (PCNE) Version 9.1. Results: A total of 300 patients were enrolled, in which the majority 83% had drug-related problems. The incidence of drug-related problems was found to be 0.27 cases per person per month. The most identified drug-related problem was found in the domain of treatment effectiveness, and the most identified cause belonged to the subdomain of drug use process. Most of the interventions proposed by clinical pharmacists were accepted by the health care professionals, and most of the DRPs were resolved. Drug-related problems were found to have a statistically significant correlation with polypharmacy (p value 0.001) and comorbidities (p value 0.001). Conclusions: The identification of drug-related problems and the recommendation of interventions by clinical pharmacists, together with the multi-disciplinary healthcare team, can optimise the use of medicines and improve health outcomes.