A descriptive was conducted study to assess non-compliance with drug therapy regimens, adverse drug reactions and drug interactions in patients with cardiovascular diseases, and to determine the prevalence of drug-related admissions and the incidence of drug-related problems during hospitalization. The information obtained will be used for improving the provision of pharmaceutical care in Songkhla Hospital. There were 100 cardiovascular patients admitted a total of 113 times to two medical wards of Songkhla Hospital. Seventy drug-related problems ("cases") were identified; 59 (84%) of these from noncompliance, 8 (11%) from adverse drug reactions and 3 (4%) from drug interactions. During hospitalization, there was 1 case of non-compliance caused by patient's lack of knowledge of drug therapy and inadequate drug counseling by the health professional. There were also 3 cases of unpreventable adverse drug reactions. No case of drug interaction was found. At follow-up, 2 cases of non-compliance (2%), and 3 cases of adverse drug reactions (4%), but none of drug interaction, were identified in 84 of these patients. The problems could be attributed to both the patients themselves and to the health-care professionals. Life style modification is the other problem area in the cardiovascular disease patients. In this study, pharmacy counseling significantly improved patients' compliance in salty and fatty diet control, comparing between the first admission and follow up.
This study showed that drug-related hospital admissions of the cardiovascular patients were preventable. Pharmaceutical- care provision could identify and reduce the incidence of preventable drug-related problems.