Journal of Pharmaceutical and Biological Sciences 2023;11(1):57–65 Content available at: https://www.ipinnovative.com/open-access-journals Journal of Pharmaceutical and Biological Sciences Journal homepage: https://www.jpbs.in/ Original Research Article Evaluation and clinical management of drug-drug interactions in hypertensive patients associated co-morbidities: A study in general medicine and ICU ward Rohit Kumar 1 , Avinash Teli 1, *, Pooja Rathore 2 , Vishal Kumar 2 , Sharookh Ali 3 1 Dept. of Clinical Pharmacology, Venkateshwar Hospital, Dwarka, New Delhi, India 2 Dept. of Pharmacy Practice, MM College of Pharmacy, Mullana, Haryana, India 3 Dept. of Clinical Pharmacology, Apollomedics Super Speciality Hospitals, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India ARTICLE INFO Article history: Received 20-06-2023 Accepted 15-07-2023 Available online 19-07-2023 Keywords: Drug- drug interactions Hypertension Co-morbidities Multidisciplinary approach General medicine ICU Patient Safety Therapeutic outcomes ABSTRACT This comparative study aims to evaluate and compare the clinical management of drug-drug interactions (DDIs) in hypertensive patients with associated co-morbidities, specifically focusing on the practices in general medicine and ICU ward settings. Hypertensive patients commonly experience co-morbidities that require multiple medications, increasing the risk of DDIs and subsequent adverse events. Understanding the current evaluation and management strategies for DDIs in these patient populations is essential for optimizing patient outcomes. This research investigates the approaches employed in general medicine and ICU wards, including DDI identification, assessment, and intervention methods. By comparing these practices, the study aims to identify potential variations, challenges, and areas for improvement in DDI management across these clinical settings. The findings of this study will contribute to the development of evidence-based guidelines and recommendations for enhancing the clinical management of DDIs in hypertensive patients with co-morbidities, ultimately improving patient safety and therapeutic outcomes. This is an Open Access (OA) journal, and articles are distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 License, which allows others to remix, tweak, and build upon the work non-commercially, as long as appropriate credit is given and the new creations are licensed under the identical terms. For reprints contact: reprint@ipinnovative.com 1. Introduction A drug interaction is a reaction between two (or more) drugs or between a drug and a food, beverage, or supplement. Taking a drug while having certain medical conditions can also cause a drug interaction. For example, taking a nasal decongestant if you have high blood pressure may cause an unwanted reaction. 1 A drug interaction can affect how a drug works or cause unwanted side effects. 2 Hypertension, characterized by elevated blood pressure, effects a significant proportion of the global population and is a major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. 3 Managing hypertension becomes particularly challenging when patients present with associated co-morbidities, * Corresponding author. E-mail address: dr.avinashteli@gmail.com (A. Teli). such as diabetes, chronic kidney disease, or mental health disorders, as these conditions often require multiple medications. 4 The administration of multiple drugs increases the likelihood of drug-drug interactions (DDIs), which can potentially result in compromised therapeutic efficacy and adverse events. 5 DDIs occur when the pharmacokinetics or pharmacodynamics of one drug are affected by the presence of another drug. In hypertensive patients with co- morbidities, DDIs can lead to poor blood pressure control, suboptimal treatment outcomes, and increased risks of drug-related adverse effects. 6 Consequently, the evaluation and clinical management of DDIs are of paramount importance in optimizing patient safety and therapeutic efficacy. 7 Drug-drug interactions (DDI) potentially occurring between medications used in the course treatment https://doi.org/10.18231/j.jpbs.2023.010 2320-1924/© 2023 Innovative Publication, All rights reserved. 57