1887
Volume 2025, Issue 4
  • ISSN: 0253-8253
  • EISSN: 2227-0426

Abstract

: Drug-drug interactions (DDIs) can lead to adverse events or altered drug effectiveness, and polypharmacy increases the likelihood of DDIs. This study aimed to explore the prevalence of clinically significant DDIs among patients with mental health problems who are prescribed psychotropic medications.

This was a retrospective observational study that included patients who had visited the Outpatient Mental Health Pharmacy at Mental Health Services (MHS) in Qatar for medication dispensing. The study covered all individuals over 2 months, totaling 1586 patients. The list of medications was cross-referenced with Lexicomp® to identify potential DDIs. Then, each identified DDI was assessed for risk rating, severity, and reliability rating. Descriptive analysis was applied first. The Shapiro-Wilk test for normality, the chi-square test, the Mann-Whitney test, and binary logistic regression were conducted as appropriate.

Of the 1586 files reviewed, 49% of the patients did not experience any DDIs, while the remaining 51% ( = 807) had at least one potential interaction. Among these, 44% had no comorbidities aside from their psychiatric condition. Anxiety disorders (25.65%) and schizophrenia (23.9%) emerged as the most common diagnoses. Patients were found to be taking an average of 4.69 ± 3.36 medications, with 2.23 ± 0.96 of these being psychotropic drugs. On average, each patient experienced 3.15 potential psychotropic DDIs. The majority of the interactions belonged to Category C (86%; = 2192), followed by Category D (7.8%; = 200). The total number of medications was the only statistically significant predictor of having potential “Intervention Required/High-Risk Drug Interactions” ( < 0.001).

The study provided valuable insight into the prevalence of potential DDIs among patients prescribed psychotropic medications in Qatar. Notably, the analysis highlighted significant interactions, particularly those associated with severe outcomes, like Torsades de Pointes and anticholinergic intoxication. These findings underscore the need for targeted strategies to mitigate adverse effects and enhance patient safety in clinical practice.

© 2025 Abu-Kuhail, Abdallah, Abu-Hafizah, Alqam, Eltorki, Ez Eldeen, El Hoseny, Al-Khuzaei, licensee HBKU Press.
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/content/journals/10.5339/qmj.2025.107
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Evaluation of potentially significant drug-drug interactions among patients receiving psychotropic medications: A real-world retrospective study
Qatar Medical Journal 2025, 107 (2025); https://doi.org/10.5339/qmj.2025.107
/content/journals/10.5339/qmj.2025.107
/content/journals/10.5339/qmj.2025.107
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  • Article Type: Research Article
Keyword(s): Drug interactions, mental illness, psychotropics and Qatar

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