A Retrospective Analysis Of Medication Errors Among Type-II Diabetes Diagnosed Patients With Hypertension In DHQ Hospital

Abstract

Background:
A significant public health concern nowadays is the rise in diabetes worldwide, especially in low-income nations. The intricacy of managing multiple comorbidities makes patients with type II diabetes and hypertension particularly susceptible to medication errors. Such mistakes can increase unfavorable outcomes, jeopardize the effectiveness of treatment, and put further burden on healthcare systems.

Methods:
To assess the frequency and severity of drug-related problems (DRPs) and drug–drug interactions (DDIs) in adults with type II diabetes and hypertension, a retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted at DHQ Hospital KDA Kohat. Micromedex® was used to classify and grade DDIs, and the Pharmaceutical Care Network Europe (PCNE) classification system was used to analyze the data.

Results:
A total of 300 patients were included, with 281 DRPs identified. Nearly all patients (93.6%) experienced at least one DRP. The most frequent issues were drug choice problems (60.5%), unnecessary drug treatment (23%), adverse drug reactions (6%), and problems not clearly classified (9.6%). According to Micromedex®, interactions were predominantly Major (56.2%), followed by Moderate (41.8%) and Contraindicated (1.8%). In terms of onset, most were unspecified (77.9%), with delayed (16.6%) and rapid (5.3%) interactions occurring less frequently. Clinical significance ratings showed most interactions as Fair (70.4%), with fewer classified as Good (23.5%) or Excellent (5.9%).

Conclusion
Medication errors and drug interactions are highly prevalent in patients with type II diabetes and hypertension. Strengthening prescribing practices and medication monitoring can reduce risks and improve treatment outcomes

Keywords:  Type-ii diabetes,  Medication errors, Hypertension, Polypharmacy; Drug–Drug Interactions

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17515007