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Background Medication errors remained among the top 10 leading causes of death worldwide. Furthermore, a high percentage of medication errors are classified as medication discrepancies. This study aimed to identify and quantify the different types of unintentional medication discrepancies among hospitalized hypertensive patients; it also explored the predictors of unintentional medication discrepancies among this cohort of patients. Methods This was a prospective observational study undertaken in a large teaching hospital. A convenience sample of adult patients, taking ≥4 regular medications, with a prior history of treated hypertension admitted to a medical or surgical ward were recruited. The best possible medication histories were obtained by hospital pharmacists using at least two information sources. These histories were compared to the admission medication orders to identify any possible unintentional discrepancies. These discrepancies were classified based on their severity. Finally, the different predictors affecting unintentional discrepancies occurrence were recognized. Results A high rate of unintentional medication discrepancies has been found, with approximately 46.7% of the patients had at least one unintentional discrepancy. Regression analysis showed that for every one year of increased age, the number of unintentional discrepancies per patient increased by 0.172 (P = 0.007), and for every additional medication taken prior to hospital admission, the number of discrepancies increased by 0.258 (P= 0.003). While for every additional medication at hospital admission, the number of discrepancies decreased by 0.288 (P < 0.001). Cardiovascular medications, such as diuretics and beta-blockers, were associated with the highest rates of unintentional discrepancies in our study. Medication omission was the most common type of the identified discrepancies, with approximately 46.1% of the identified discrepancies were related to omission. Regarding the clinical significance of the identified discrepancies, around two-third of them were of moderate to high significance (n= 124, 64.2%), which had the potential to cause moderate or severe worsening of the patient´s medical condition. Conclusions Unintentional medication discrepancies are highly prevalent among hypertensive patients. Medication omission was the most commonly encountered discrepancy type. Health institutions should implement appropriate and effective tools and strategies to reduce these medication discrepancies and enhance patient safety at different care transitions. Further studies are needed to assess whether such discrepancies might affect blood pressure control in hypertensive patients.

Objectives This study aimed to assess the different types of drug-related problems (DRPs) among diabetic patients and to study the effect of those DRPs on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of this population. Methods The current retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted at outpatients' clinics at the Jordan University Hospital. During the study period, a total of 91 patients with type 2 diabetes were recruited. Patients' medical information was used to assess the different DRPs and to evaluate their impact on the HRQoL evaluated using the Arabic EQ-5D tool. Key findings The mean age of study participants was 61.1 (SD = 8.8). Females represented 60.4% (n = 55) of them. A total of 571 DRPs were identified among the study participants (average 6.27, SD: 2.08; range 0-14). Lack of appropriate monitoring was the most common type of DRPs identified (30.6%, n = 175), followed by safety DRPs (22.1%, n = 126). The EQ-5D average score in this study was 0.6124 (SD: 0.3133). Regression statistical analysis indicated that non-adherence to non-pharmacological therapy was associated with poor EQ-5D scores (P-value <0.05), while indication DRPs were associated with better EQ-5D scores (P-value <0.05). Conclusions The number of DRPs among diabetic patients is high, and this represents a major concern that needs attention. Some of these DRPs were associated with poor HRQoL. Engaging pharmacists through pharmaceutical care service is needed to prevent those DRPs, which may ultimately improve patients HRQoL.

The version presented here may differ from the published version or from the version of the record. Please see the repository URL above for details on accessing the published version and note that access may require a subscription.

The version presented here may differ from the published version or from the version of the record. Please see the repository URL above for details on accessing the published version and note that access may require a subscription.