ABSTRACT
Background: Drug interaction (more precisely ‘drug-drug interaction’) refers to modifying the action of one drug by another when administered simultaneously or in quick succession. Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) patients often require polypharmacy, which puts them at the risk of the developing Drug - Drug Interactions (DDIs) and various adverse reactions. Not all patients taking interacting drugs experience adverse consequences, but it is advisable to take due precautions to avoid mishaps in all cases where interactions are possible. Hence, this study was undertaken to identify the DDIs among the drugs prescribed to CKD patients. Materials and methods: A Cross-sectional study was conducted in the Department of Nephrology. A total of 80 patients with CKD were included. Patients with CKD with other comorbid conditions, CKD patients of either sex above the age group of 18 years were included. LEXICOMP drug interaction software was used for potential DDI (pDDI) identification. Results: Patients mean age was 47.24±14.37 years with male predominance of 72.5 %. A total of 604 drugs were prescribed with a mean of 7.55 ± 2.73. The most common medications prescribed was Amlodipine (6.3%). DDIs were identified in 74 patients. 46 showed 1 to 5 pDDIs, 22 patients showed 6 to 10 p DDIs, 4 patients showed 11 - 15 DDIs, and 2 patients showed 16 to 20 pDDIs. According to the Lexicomp severity classification, 270 were Type C, 57 were Type D & 55 were Type B. Conclusion: The recognition of potential DDI and key combinations of drugs avoids treatment failure situations or minimizes drug toxicity .