Abstract

Background: The increasing number of available drugs and drug users, as well as more complex drug regimen leads to more side effect and drug interaction and complicates follow-up. A drug related problem is any undesirable event experienced by the patients which involves, or is suspected to involve, drug therapy, and that interferes with achieving the desired goals of therapy.
Objectives: To asses drug related problems and contributing factors among hospitalized patients at Gedo Hospital, West Shoa zone, West Ethiopia.
Methods: Prospective cross sectional study was conducted among hospitalized patients at Gedo Hospital in Gedo town. The study population was hospitalized patients at internal medicine, paediatrics, surgical, gynaecology and obstetrics wards of Gedo Hospital from March 15 - May 11, 2018. Data on socio-demographic variables current diagnosis, current medication, length of hospital stay and average drugs per day were collected by using bed side interview guided semi-structured questionnaire and data abstraction formats for card review. The data were analysed by using SPSS version 20.0 for windows. Descriptive statistics, cross- tabs, and logistic regression were done.
Result: Out of 209 study participants, 151 (75.6%) had drug related problems. From the six classes of drug related problems studied, 75 (35.9%) of the drug related problems were non-compliance followed by need of additional drug therapy 63 (30.1%). Factors independently predicted the occurrence of drug related problems in the study area were sex, educational status, occupation, poly pharmacy and number of diagnosed diseases.
Conclusion and Recommendation: The prevalence of drug related problems was substantially high (75.6%). Furthermore, all classes of drug related problem were common.  For a better delivery of health service with regard to patient care and management patient oriented or clinical pharmacist should be assigned to Gedo Hospital.

Keywords: Drug; Drug therapy; Non-compliance; Gedo