UNAIR NEWS– Inaugurated as professor of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacy of on Thursday, December 28, Prof.Dr.Suharjono, MS, Apt., delivered an oration focusing on polypharmacy studies.According to him, the emergence of disease is not independent.It is similar with what happen to patients with degenerative diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure, heart failure, and osteoporosis.Other diseases also accompany their occurences.
Therefore, polypharmacy therapy is performed.It is the simultaneous use of more than five different types of drugs with different active substance content.
Prof.Dr.Suharjono said that polypharmacy can be desired by prescription physicians to get synergism, additives, or to reduce or prevent the side effects of one of the drugs used by patients.On the other hand, however, unwise prescription of polypharmacy also brings more harm to the patients.
There are two types of polypharmacy, minor polypharmacy, consisting of two to four types of drugs, and major polypharmacy, the use of more than five types of drugs.
Quoting Bradley (2016), Prof.Suharjono continued, polypharmacy is useful for additive drugs (work in synergy) to reduce the side effects of one drug, improve clinical conditions, and reduce the dose of one drug.
“It (drug interaction, ed) is influenced by several factors, patient and drugs factors.Patient factors are age, sex, ethnic differences, impaired renal and liver function, and the presence of diseases that may increase ADR, “he explained.“For the drug factor, a drug that has a narrow therapeutic index as well as a drug with high side effects risk,” he added.
Prof.Suharjono revealed, a favorable polypharmacy can be made in a fixed combination in one form.However, there are also patent drugs based on additive and synergistic effects to simplify the form of a dosage so that medication adherence is maintained for example, in the case of flu and cough.
“One of the limitations of polypharmacy is the emergence of drug interactions ADR (adverse drug interactions) that brings more harm,” he said.
Clinical Pharmacy Significant Role
Polypharmacy is beneficial and also detrimental.In clinical practice, whether in hospital, puskesmas, or community, is inevitable.According to Prof.Suharjono, polypharmacy is legal and may be applied as long as it pays attention to the benefits andpatient safety.
“The responsibility of providing appropriate references and recommendations to patients is a task and role that must be held wisely by clinical pharmacists,” he explained.
In the end, Prof.Suharjono asserted that as a partner of both doctors and nurses, and patients, to provide good advice and collaboration what should be done is to choose, prepare the best quality, effective, polifarmation medicine for patients.(*)
Author: Feri Fenoria
Editor: Nuri Hermawan
