Detection and prevention of drug-drug interactions in the hospitalized elderly: utility of new cytochrome p450-based software.

Background: Polypharmacy increases the risk of cytochrome P450-based drug-drug interactions (CYP450-DDIs), leading to decreased therapeutic efficacy or increased drug toxicity.

Objective: The aims of this study were to investigate the utility of a new CYP450-DDI software, InterMED-Rx, in aiding pharmacists in detecting CYP450-DDIs in hospitalized elderly patients and to ascertain pharmacists' agreement on how to intervene for each CYP450-DDI.

Methods: A consensus panel of geriatric pharmacists first established guidelines for managing clinically relevant pharmacokinetic CYP450-DDIs.