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Abstract

Drug-related problems (DRPs) significantly contribute to hospitalization, increase healthcare costs, and adversely affect patient outcomes. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and preventability of drug-related hospital admissions (DRHAs) in medical wards at King Fahad University Hospital, Saudi Arabia. A prospective study was conducted among adult patients admitted to the medical unit. DRHAs were assessed using the validated AT-HARM 10 tool. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 23, with statistical significance set at p<0.05. A total of 200 patients were included, of whom 26.0% experienced DRHAs. Among these admissions, 86.5% were considered definitely preventable, and 51.9% were of moderate severity. Non-compliance was the most common contributing factor (71.2%), followed by untreated conditions (7.7%) and improper drug selection (5.8%). Cardiovascular medications accounted for the largest proportion of DRHAs (69.2%), followed by immunosuppressants, antianemic agents, and antibiotics (5.8% each). Multivariate logistic regression showed that patients with chronic diseases were significantly more likely to experience DRHAs than those without chronic diseases (OR=11.4; 95% CI: 1.752–73.789; p=0.011). Patients with chronic kidney disease were also more likely to experience DRHAs than those without chronic kidney disease or end-stage renal disease (OR=2.8; 95% CI: 1.055–7.553; p=0.039). DRHAs accounted for a substantial proportion of medical admissions, with most considered preventable. Early identification and management of DRPs, particularly among patients with chronic diseases, may reduce avoidable hospitalizations and improve therapeutic outcomes‎.

Keywords: Drug-related problems, Drug-related hospital admissions, AT-HARM 10, Naranjo algorithm, Hepler-Strand classification.

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