STUDY ON DRUG RELATED PROBLEMS IN TUBERCULOSIS PATIENTS WITH COMORBIDITIES IN A TERTIARY CARE TEACHING HOSPITAL

Dr. G. Shivaraj*, Dr. K. Muralikrishna, Nijeesh C. H., Laloo F., Baburaja B. and Dr. H. Doddayya

ABSTRACT

The presence of comorbidities in tuberculosis patients like hepatic disorders, renal failure, diabetes mellitus and hypertension etc. require more attention to improve the effectiveness of drug therapy and reducing drug related complications like hepatic toxicity, hyperuricemia, renal failure etc. To understand the drug related problems in tuberculosis patient with comorbidities, a prospective observation based study on drug related problems in tuberculosis patient with comorbidities was conducted in 1000 bedded tertiary care teaching hospital over a period of six months from November 2015 to April 2016. The data was collected from 100 in-patients using specially designed data collection form. Out of 100 patients, 45 cases with hepatic impairment, 30 cases with diabetes, 17 cases with lower respiratory tract infection, 5 cases with hypertension and 3 cases with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease were found. In this study, total 585 drugs related problems have been identified in 100 patients by using 8 categories of Pharmaceutical Care Network Europe drug related problems classification. Drug interactions (50.26%) was the most common drug related problems found, which was clinically significant in tuberculosis patients with comorbidities. Drug choice problem (40.68%) was the second most common drug related problems found, which consists of inappropriate use of drugs (74.37%) like antibiotics and acid suppressant drugs. Hepatic impairment was common for most of the tuberculosis patients with anti-tubercular drugs but in future we have to give more attention on management of tuberculosis in diabetes, hypertension and other comorbidities and associated drugs related problems.

Keywords: Tuberculosis, Comorbidities, Drug Related Problems, Drug Interactions, Drug Choice Problems.