Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug-Drug interactions in various regions of Andhra Pradesh
Pharmacoepidemiology deals with the use and effects of medications in a large number of population—the combination of epidemiology principles to the effects of drug and its usage. Pharmacoepidemiology helps in optimal utilization of medicines and assist health care providers in making better decisions on drug therapy that will tend to curtail the Drug-Drug interactions, thereby prevents alteration in the pharmacological activity of one drug by another. Among all types of interaction, Drug-Drug interaction causes a higher rate of mortality. A prospective study conducted with 653 prescriptions that were collected from the various regions of Andhra Pradesh like Kadapa, Proddatur, Pulivendula, Kurnool are checked in interaction checker, results are projected in 4 categories a) Age and Sex preponderance(Demographics) rate of drugs interaction b) Interaction rate of major/minor type c) Department wise - General medicine (72.37%), Gynaec (69.02%), Pediatric (29.33%), Ophthalmology (75%) d) Most common interacting pairs of various department Ex: Ceftriaxone & Furosemide, Diclofenac & Furosemide, Albuterol & Losartan are observed in General Medicine. Statistical significance (P-value 0.00002) is obtained based on One Way ANOVA. This study elucidates the significance of pharmacoepidemiology; however, this requires much efforts to prevent causation effects of drugs. It is helpful to locate them by the establishment of “Drug interaction monitoring program” or by establishing “Pharmacoepidemiological centres” in every hospital for the screening of prescriptions by “Pharmacist” and thereby edify doctors and public for better medication use.