Assessment of treatment‐related problems and associated factors among hospitalized patients in the United Arab Emirates: a retrospective study

Objectives To investigate the prevalence and type of treatment‐related problems and associated factors among hospitalized patients admitted to internal medical wards in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Methods This retrospective study was conducted over a period of 6 months. Ethical approval was obtained, and 278 patient medical records were collected and reviewed. Treatment‐related problems (TRPs) were identified and classified by a specialized clinical pharmacist, and a suitable intervention was suggested for each TRPs. Associated risk factors and drug classes were also investigated. Key findings A total of 1762 treatment‐related problems were identified, with an average of 6.33 ± 2.85 problems per patient. The most common treatment‐related problems in this study were drug interactions, efficacy dosage regimen, additional monitoring needed and untreated conditions. Cardiovascular drugs and antidiabetic drugs were the most commonly involved. Treatment‐related problems were significantly associated with number of medications (P = 0.035) and number of medical conditions (P = 0.001). Conclusions The high prevalence of TRPs among hospitalized patients in the UAE is alarming. This study highlights the importance of clinical pharmacy services to help identify and reduce treatment‐related problems. Patients with multiple medical conditions and patients using multiple medications should be closely assessed for TRPs.