Potential drug interactions at a University Hospital (Florianopolis, Brazil) and the "Swiss cheese" approach to the role of pharmacists.

The scenario concerning potential drug interactions (PDI) at the University Hospital of the Federal University of Santa Catarina (Florianopolis, Brazil) was assessed. Prescriptions from three inpatient departments were analyzed (n = 1075); PDI were identified, and their severity, onset and documentation were evaluated using Micromedex (R) 2.0. Around 65% of the prescriptions had at least one potential DI. About one third of them were classified as major (24%) or contraindicated (8%). Documentation was classified as "good" or "excellent" and onset was classified as "delayed" for most PDI. The prescriptions included nine drugs, on average; 35% of prescribed drugs were administered by the parenteral route. There are several barriers that prevent the occurrence of PDI in practice, and according to the systemic approach of the "Swiss Cheese" model, pharmacists can play a decisive role in promoting patient safety.