PROFILE OF POTENTIAL DRUG INTERACTIONS IN EVENTS RECORDED AS POSSIBLE ADVERSE DRUG REACTIONS IN POLYMEDICATED OLDER ADULTS

Abstract

This study aimed to characterize potential drug interactions present in records of possible adverse drug reactions (ADR) and to describe the clinical manifestations documented in polymedicated older adults. A total of 264 medical records of individuals aged 60 years or older, continuously using four or more medications and treated at a geriatric outpatient clinic between January 1 and June 30, 2023, were analyzed. For the present analysis, attention was focused on 33 possible ADR events recorded in 28 participants in the context of potential drug interactions. Drug combinations were assessed according to the risk classification used in the original protocol and a complementary pharmacological source; manifestations were identified from medical records. No specific causality assessment instrument was applied. Among the 33 events, the most frequent categories involved substrates and moderate CYP3A4 inhibitors (n = 11; 33.3%) and the combined CYP2C8/9 category (n = 6; 18.2%). Dizziness (n = 11; 33.3%), headache (n = 4; 12.1%), and urinary problems (n = 3; 9.1%) were the most frequent manifestations. The findings describe patterns of potential interactions concomitant with recorded clinical manifestations, without establishing causality, and may support individualized pharmacotherapy review in polymedicated older adults.