DDI of the Month Podcast
The very latest updates on Drug-Drug Interactions hot off the presses!
Discover the Latest Episode
Available now on Spotify and Apple Podcasts
In our latest episode, we dive into an important study by Dr. Massimo and Dr. Gianluca which examines the agreement between different drug interaction checkers (ICs) when evaluating interactions involving widely used proton pump inhibitors (PPIs).
PPIs are frequently prescribed for treating acid-related conditions and preventing medication-induced ulcers, especially in older patients with multimorbidity and polypharmacy. These interactions are often complex, involving increased gastric pH (reduction of absorption) and metabolism through CYP3A4 and CYP2C19 enzymes. However, this study reveals significant inconsistencies between the summary of product characteristics (SPCs) and five individual widely-used ICs.
The podcast covers:
How different ICs (like INTERCheck WEB, Micromedex, Lexicomp, Epocrates, and drugs.com) identify and classify potential interactions with PPIs (including omeprazole, esomeprazole, lansoprazole, pantoprazole, and rabeprazole).
The alarming discrepancies between the IC data and official product summaries (SPCs), and how this impacts clinical decision-making.
Why healthcare professionals should use multiple sources and collaborate closely in managing complex medication regimens, especially in elderly patients.
Listen to learn more about the findings of this study and how to improve patient safety and ensure the accurate identification of drug interactions that can affect patient outcomes.
This episode is available!
Guest Speakers Episode 4
AI’s potential for improving CDSSs
Prof. P.M.L.A. (Patricia) van den Bemt
PhD PharmD
University Medical Center Groningen,
the Netherlands
Jetske Graafsma
PharmD
Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, Tjongerschans Hospital,
the Netherlands
The fourth episode will delve into the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to optimize medication alerts generated by clinical decision support systems (CDSSs). Dr. David Burger will discuss the findings of a review and future opportunities with Jetske Graafsma and Dr. Patricia van den Bemt.
Medication safety is crucial, and preventing adverse drug events (ADEs) is a key aspect. Clinical decision support systems (CDSSs) in electronic health records help reduce the risk of ADEs by generating alerts for dosages, DDIs, contraindications, duplicate therapies, drug allergies, and intolerances. However, the high volume of alerts can lead to alert fatigue, potentially causing important alerts to be missed.
In a recent scoping review, Graafsma et al. provided an overview of 10 studies on the application of AI to optimize medication alerts from CDSSs in hospital settings. AI is a promising yet relatively new tool in healthcare, and before its implementation, thorough external validation is often needed.
In the upcoming podcast, we will discuss the review findings, AI’s potential for improving CDSS, and its practical implementation. We’ll also hear Jetske and Patricia’s insights on alert fatigue and future research opportunities.
Don’t miss the fourth episode, available now!
Guest Speakers Episode 3
Real-World Clinical DDI Cases
José Moltó
MD, PhD
Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol,
Spain
Juan Ambrosioni
MD, PhD
University of Barcelona,
Spain
In the third episode, Dr. Burger discussed with Dr. Ambrosioni and Dr. Molto the added value of reporting outcomes of real-world cases in patients with HIV caused by drug-drug interactions (DDIs).
Several databases are available for DDI management, with discrepancies often occurring between the databases. The differences may be caused by extrapolations from studied interactions to predict the DDI potential for unknown drug combinations. The relevance of the unstudied DDIs is often unknown.
Reporting the outcomes of real-world cases can determine the relevance of DDIs. The article discusses real-world cases between antiretrovirals (ARVs) and comedications reported on www.clinicalcasesDDIs.com. Twenty percent of the reported cases involve over-the-counter drugs, which are often not recorded in patient files.
The following topics will be discussed during the podcast: the challenges of DDI management of ARVs with comedications, the added value of reporting outcomes of real-world cases and, the underestimated risks of over-the-counter (OTC) drug use.
Listen to the podcast for all the tips and take-home messages!
Read the full article here: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40121-024-00935-0
Guest Speakers Episode 2 | Colchicine
Daniel Malone
BS Pharmacy, PhD, FAMCP
University of Utah College of Pharmacy,
United States
Ainhoa Gomez-Lumbreras
MD, PhD
University of Utah,
United States
In the second episode of this podcast series, Dr Malone, Dr Gómez-Lumbreras, and Dr Burger will discuss the drug-drug interaction potential of colchicine, which may be underestimated.
Dr. Malone’s research group did a study on real-world data on the interaction potential of colchicine. Colchicine concentration can be increased by CYP3A4 inhibitors, which may lead to toxicity and adverse events. Adverse events cases reported between 2004 and 2020 were studied for the involvement of colchicine in DDIs. In 66% of 787 studied reports, colchicine was identified as a concomitant drug. This indicates that the reporter did not think colchicine was the cause of the adverse events mentioned in the reports.
Could colchicine possibly play a bigger role in DDIs than currently thought?
Are there any safety concerns of colchicine use combined with strong CYP3A4 inhibitors?
And what practical guidance is needed for the safe use of colchicine in combination with other medicines?
Listen to the second episode of DDI of the Month to find out!
Guest Speaker Episode 1 | Flucloxacillin
Ditte B. Iversen
PhD, MSc Pharm
University of Southern Denmark,
Denmark
In the first episode of this new podcast series, Dr Iversen and Dr Burger will dive into DDIs with flucloxacillin, and explore the results of Dr. Iversen's research trial.
Flucloxacillin is widely used to treat infections and is known to be an agonist of the nuclear receptor PXR. Combined with comedications, it may give an increased risk of drug-drug interactions and no guideline is available yet.
Dr. Iversen’s research group has studied the extent of induction of flucloxacillin of the CYP enzymes in healthy adults and 3D spheroid of primary human hepatocytes (PHHs). The research group performed a randomized, unblinded, two-period, cross-over, clinical pharmacokinetic (Basel) cocktail study with twelve healthy adults. During the podcast, the study will be discussed in detail.
Find out the interesting results of this study!
About the Podcast
How do you avoid adverse drug interactions in this rapidly evolving field of pharmacological therapies?
Presented by Global DDI Solutions in collaboration with Academic Medical Education, the DDI of the Month podcast brings you the latest updates on drug-drug interactions.
Each month, a new paper will be selected and the author invited to discuss their findings and explore how this can optimize DDI management and patient care going forward.
The podcast intended for everyone interested in DDI management or specific drugs, e.g. healthcare professionals, pharmacists, and researchers.
Go to the DDI Manager website to utilize the online resources designed to assist healthcare professionals in prescribing and enhancing overall quality of life for their patients.
You can access a DDI manager for a specific disease and search for the related drugs from there.