Study Identifies Top 10 LTC Drug Interactions. (NH News Notes).Making staff aware of dangerous drug interactions might be a little easier with the newly released list of America's Top Ten Particularly Dangerous Drug Interactions in Long Term Care. The American Medical Directors Association (AMDA), in collaboration with the American Society of Consultant Pharmacists The American Society of Consultant Pharmacists (ASCP) is the international professional association that provides leadership, education, advocacy, and resources to advance the practice of senior care pharmacy. (ASCP ASCP American Society of Clinical Pathologists. ), surveyed more than 100 physicians and pharmacists to identify common drug interactions' clinical significance and potential to cause harm, the frequency of interactions and how often these drugs are prescribed in nursing homes, determining that the top 10 combinations are: 1. warfarin and NSAIDs 2. warfarin and sulfa drugs 3. warfarin and macrolides 4. warfarin and quinolones 5. warfarin and phenytoin phenytoin /phen·y·to·in/ (fen´i-toin?) an anticonvulsant used in the control of various kinds of epilepsy and of seizures associated with neurosurgery. phen·y·to·in n. 6. ACE inhibitors and potassium supplements 7. ACE inhibitors and spironolactone spironolactone /spir·o·no·lac·tone/ (spi?rah-no-lak´ton) one of the spirolactones, an aldosterone inhibitor that blocks the aldosterone-dependent exchange of sodium and potassium in the distal tubule, thus increasing excretion of sodium 8. digoxin and amiodarone 9. digoxin and verapamil verapamil /ve·rap·a·mil/ (ve-rap´ah-mil) a calcium channel blocker that dilates coronary arteries and decreases myocardial oxygen demand, used as the hydrochloride salt in the treatment of angina pectoris and of hypertension and the 10. theophylline and quinolones AMDA's Web site provides more information on the list, including: generic and brand names of the drugs, methods to prevent interactions and answers to other common questions about the drug interactions. A grant by GlaxoSmithKline supported the effort. |
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