Prevalence of potentially serious drug-drug interactions among South African elderly private health sector patients using the Mimica Matanović/Vlahović-Palčevski protocol.

Objectives: To determine the prevalence of potentially serious drug-drug interactions (DDIs) and their relationship with gender and age, among elderly in South Africa.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using pharmaceutical claims data for 2013, for a total of 103 420 medical scheme beneficiaries' ≥65 years. All medications dispensed within one calendar month where the days' supply of medication dispensed overlapped, were grouped as one prescription.

Managing asthma in primary care through imperative outcomes.

Rationale, Aims And Objectives: To evaluate asthma management and control in primary care clinics so as to design improvements based on guideline-directed outcomes.

Methods: In this study, all medical records of asthma-diagnosed patients (children as well as adults, entire lifespan, asthma-related visits or not) were retrospectively reviewed as a basis for assessing the level of guideline adherence and asthma control. Six primary health care clinics were visited in the Dr Kenneth Kaunda Municipal District, Potchefstroom, South Africa during May to July 2008, 2009 and 2010.