Evaluation of Clopidogrel-Drug Interactions at a Public Hospital

Clopidogrel is an oral antiplatelet drug used to prevent blood clots. It is important to check clopidogrel interactions with other drugs because these interactions may change the levels of the drugs in blood and put the patients at a high risk for side effects and toxicity. This study aimed to describe the rate of clopidogrel-drug interactions in a public hospital in Al-kharj. The present study showed that the interactions of clopidogrel with other medications were common and that the majority of the interactions were either major (70.24%) or moderate (28.57%). Aspirin (35.71%), atorvastatin (23.81%), omeprazole (13.10%), am-lodipine (7.14%), and esomeprazole (7.14%) caused the majority of the interactions with clopidogrel. These interactions increase the risk of treatment failure if the interactions lead to a decrease in the drug level in the blood or lead to an increase in the occurrence of adverse events and toxicity. Therefore, we recommend that the pharmacists have to use software that detects the DDIs before the dispensing of the prescriptions to avoid the harmful effects of these interactions.