Assessment of potential drug–drug interaction knowledge, attitude, and practice among Egyptian hospital and community pharmacists: a cross-sectional multicenter study

Abstract

Background Pharmacists have an important role in preventing prescribing errors and providing appropriate information. They can detect potential drug–drug interactions (DDIs), which are associated with a more extended hospital stay and higher medical costs that lead to substantial financial burdens on healthcare systems. This study aimed to evaluate and assess the knowledge of community and hospital pharmacists toward drug–drug interaction and their attitude and motivation to find DDI information, in addition to identifying the pharmacist factors affecting this knowledge. A cross-sectional multicenter study was conducted using a self-administered questionnaire. Nineteen drug pairs, that are common in clinical practice, were evaluated. This study aimed to evaluate and assess the knowledge of community and hospital pharmacists toward drug–drug interaction and their attitude and motivation to find DDI information, in addition to identifying the pharmacist factors affecting this knowledge. Results A total of 4363 pharmacists (2260 community pharmacists and 2103 hospital pharmacists) have completed the survey. The participants' knowledge of DDIs was 58.25%, and there was no significant difference in pharmacist knowledge between community and hospital pharmacists (p = 0.834). The highest correct answer was for sildenafil and isosorbide mononitrate pair 78.8%. The most used source of information was the internet or mobile applications, 47.1%. Participants who always considered PDDIs while prescribing detected more drug interactions than those who did not (p = 0.001). Conclusion According to the findings of this study, community and hospital pharmacists had comparable knowledge of DDIs. However, before dispensing uncommon prescriptions, they should consult evidence-based drug information resources and DDI software to identify potential drug interactions.