Prospective Interventional Study on Medication-related problems and Associated Factors among Patients with Hypertension at a Tertiary Care Hospital

Abstract

Introduction: The global burden of hypertension in 2030 was estimated to be 44% of the population, which is a 17% increase from the present with high mortality and morbidity effects. Medication-related problems in cardiovascular disease patients, especially among hypertension patients, were found to be high and a critical problem which is associated with high mortality, complication, prolonged hospital stay, compromised quality of life and increase health care cost.

Objective: To determine medication related problems and its predictors among hypertension patients on chronic follow-up at Tertiary Care Hospital.

Methods: A prospective interventional study was conducted among hypertension patients from December 2023 to July 2024 at Tertiary Care Hospital. Medication-related problems were classified and identified based on pharmaceutical care network Europe drug classification tool version 9.0. Interventions were done through the discussions with individual prescribers and patients. A consecutive sampling technique was used. Binary Logistic regression was used to identify independent predictors of medication related problems. Variables having p-values < 0.05 were considered statistically significant.

Results: Among 384 hypertension patients included in the study, 219 (57.1%) were male. The mean (SD) age was 49.06 +17.79. Two thirds of study participants had at least one medication related problem. A total of 483 MRPs were identified among 231 (60.15%) patients. Treatment effectiveness related problem (55.48%) was the most commonly observed medication related problems. Alcoholism (AOR; 3.15, 95% CI [1.46–7.23]), stage II hypertension (AOR=2.77, 95% CI= [3.53–4.66]); comorbidity (AOR=2.88, 95% CI= [1.47–5.66]) and polypharmacy (AOR=3.07, 95% CI= [1.57–5.99]) were the independent predictors of medication related problems.

Conclusion: The prevalence of medication-related problems was high among hypertensive patients. Alcoholism, stage II hypertension, comorbidity and polypharmacy were the predictors of medication related problems. Therefore, to overcome the problems, clinical pharmacists, physicians and other healthcare professionals must collaborate.