Assessment of drug therapy problem and associated factors among adult hypertensive patients at Ayder comprehensive specialized hospital, Northern Ethiopia

Background: Drug-therapy problems(DTPs) among hypertensive patients can result in patient's morbidity and mortality. The main aim of this study was to assess drug therapy problem and associated factors among hypertensive patients.

Methods: A hospital based cross sectional study was conducted. The data was collected from patients' medical charts and through interview. Drug therapy problem was categorized according to Cipolle methods of DTP classification. The data was analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS), version 21.

Results: A total of 241 patients were studied. The mean number of antihypertensive medications prescribed were 1.41±0.53. A total of 357 drug therapy problems(DTPs) were identified. From the patients studied,134(55.6%) had at least one evidence of drug therapy problem. Non adherence was the most commonly identified drug therapy problem occurred in (143(59.3%)) patients. Substance use (AOR=0.445, 95% CI= 0.227-0.870, p=0.018) and comorbidity (AOR= 2.099, 95% CI= 1.192-3.694, p=0.010) were the predictors of DTP.

Conclusion: More than half of the participants had evidence of onset drug therapy problem. Thus efforts that could boost antihypertensive compliance and minimizes substance use should be adopted to reduce patients's drug therapy problems.