ABSTRACT

Pharmacovigilance is an essential phenomenon in the rational use of medicine, providing information about ADR in general population. Tracking ADR in" close system pharmacy" which

has relied on use of yellow forms and feed back following exposure to drugs has been inadequate. Alternative methods are therefore required. In the present study, the use of a combination of two methods to determine possible interactions

prior to dispensing and adverse drug reactions following exposure to drugs was evaluated using computer software and mobile phone technology.

Two hundred and thirty randomly selected prescriptions were evaluated and carried a total of 660 drugs. Antibiotics (34%), analgesics(23%), vitamin(l4.1 %) and antimalarials(? .I%) drugs were most commonly prescribed to the patients enrolled in the study. Prescriptions of atleast 3 drugs occurred in 152 patients with 32.6% ofthese patients exposed to exactly 3 drugs.

Using Medscape software for drug interaction, 99(43%) prescriptions of 230 had interactions detected; (minor in 33, significant in 57 and a mix of both in 9). All patients enrolled carried at least one mobile phone with a service provider from four available in the region. Mean Effective contact ratio was 0.92 for drug reaction monitoring in the patients for fourteen days. Of the 230 patients monitored drug reaction was reported in 48%. Within the period of study, no yellowform was recorded in the hospital. No A b/2. ""o.-.s d