Drug-related problems in patients with ischemic stroke in hospital

Background Drug therapy is getting more complex, thus making it more challenging to prescribe appropriate drug therapy. Accordingly, in clinical practice, a wide range of drug-related problems (DRP) may arise; they are relatively common in hospitalised patients and can result in patient morbidity and mortality, and increased costs. Objective The objective was to investigate the nature and frequency of DRPs along with pharmaceutical interventions to address them in patients with ischemic stroke from hospital admission to discharge. Method From January to June 2011 patients with ischemic stroke, who were taking >2 drugs during hospital stay and at discharge, were recruited. A clinical pharmacist performed medication reconciliation on admission, and checked the medication records during the hospital stay regularly. DRPs were categorized by APS-Doc. Results In total, DRPs occurred in 105/155 (67.7 %) patients: Overall 271 DRPs were documented, with a mean of 1.8 ± 2.0 DRPs per patient. The DRPs occurred mainly in the categories “drug”, “indication”, and “dosage”. Conclusion In conclusion, DRPs are relatively common in hospitalised patients and may occur at any part of the prescribing process. The clinical pharmacist can provide a valuable contribution in the multidisciplinary team to an optimized pharmacotherapy in patients with ischemic stroke.