| Introduction: With increasing frequency, pharmacists are being questioned by their patients whether a new prescription drug will interact with any of their routine medications. Unfortunately, each year a number of deaths occur as the direct result of patients taking a new prescription drug in combination with their existing medication regimen. A small number of drugs are withdrawn from the market annually because patients experience harmful adverse drug reactions (ADRs) or drug interactions. Although many ADRs are detected during clinical drug trials, the side effect profiles of a new drug often require more extensive use—including use by patient populations who may not have been adequately represented in the drug’s clinical trials. Also, many drugs are generally studied in young, healthy patients who are not taking other medication. Consequently, it may take several months or years before an adequate documentation of a problem exists. Adverse drug reactions and drug interactions present alarming problems for our society and must be addressed by all healthcare providers. Because pharmacists are the most extensively educated in the areas of pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, and therapeutics, as well as being the most accessible to patients, they need to assume a more proactive role in preventing potentially lethal situations from occurring. |
Drug Interactions
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