Indian Journal of Pharmacy Practice, Vol 11, Issue 1, Jan-Mar, 2018 37 Original Artcle www.ijopp.org DOI: 10.5530/ijopp.11.1.7 Address for correspondence: Dr. Siva Reddy Challa, M.Pharm, Ph.D, Professor and HOD, Department of Pharmacology KVSR Siddhartha College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Pinnamaneni Poly Clinic Road, Siddhartha Nagar, Vijayawada-520010, Andhra Pradesh, INDIA. Cell No: +918008593009, Tel: +91-8662479775. Fax: 0866 2476086 Email Id: sivareddypharma@ gmail.com Incidence and Factors Associated with Drug Related Hospital Admissions in a South Indian Tertiary Care Hospital Sravya Gethika Dammalapati 1 , Siva Reddy Challa 2* , Prasad Challa 1 , Mohammed Irfan 1 , Kavitha Chanumolu 1 , Ravindra Babu Pingili 2 , Krishna Sri Nalla 2 , Eswar G 3 1 Department of Pharmacy Practice, KVSR Siddhartha College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh, INDIA. 2 Department of Pharmacology, KVSR Siddhartha College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh, INDIA. 3 Department of General Medicine, Dr. Pinnamaneni Siddhartha Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Foundation Chinoutpalli, Gannavaram, Krishna, Andhra Pradesh, INDIA. ABSTRACT Objective: The study aimed to assess the incidence, nature of drug related hospital admissions (DRHAs) and factors associated with DRHAs. Method: A retrospective study was conducted to evaluate the medical records of patients admitted to general medicine department for six months. Drug related hospital admissions were assessed using Helper and Stand Classification. Crude odds ratio (COR) and adjusted odds ratio (AOR) were determined using univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis. Results: The results of analysis of 1177 medical records reveal that 202 (17.2%) patients were admitted due to 248 DRHAs. Of which, the most common DRHA was non-compliance that accounted for 50.50% (102). Out of 248 drug related hospital admissions, 65.8% (n=163) were definitely preventable, 30.2% (n=75) were possibly preventable and 4.0% (n=10) were definitely not preventable. However, multivariate regression analysis results indicate that hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and polypharmacy at admission are significantly (p< 0.001) associated with DRHA. Conclusion: The factors remarkably associated with drug related hospital admissions are age, diabetes mellitus, hypertension and polypharmacy. The major reasons for drug related hospital admissions are non-compliance and adverse drug reactions. Collaborative efforts among patients, physicians, pharmacists and caregivers might reduce the frequency of drug related hospital admissions. Key words: Drug related hospital admissions, Adverse drug reactions, Compliance, Retrospective study, Risk factors. INTRODUCTION A drug related problem (DRP) is defned as an event or circumstance that involves a patient’s drug treatment that actually, or potentially, interferes with the achievement of an optimal outcome. 1,2 Optimal therapeutic outcome has been defned as an absence of drug related problems (DRPs). 3,4 Over the past 40 years, advances in drug therapies have both improved patient care and led to an apparent increase in the incidence of drug related problems being reported. Unresolved DRPs may manifest as drug- related morbidity, which has been described as the phenomenon of therapeutic mal- function or miscarriage or the failure of a therapeutic agent to produce the intended outcome. If left untreated, drug-related morbidity may eventually result in drug related mortality. There is a substantial body of literature that suggests a large proportion of drug-related morbidity is preventable. The cost of drug-related morbidity and mortality in the ambulatory setting is con- siderable and should be considered in