Analysis on drug transporters-mediated interaction between drugs and metformin / 中国基层医药

ABSTRACT

Objective:To investigate the potential drug interactions of outpatient prescriptions containing metformin combined with other drugs from the perspective of drug transporters.Methods:The prescriptions containing metformin that were used in the Outpatient Department of Hainan General Hospital, China between July and December 2019 were collected. The potential interaction between drugs and metformin used in the prescriptions was analyzed according to drug instructions, Drugbank, PubMed databases.Results:A total of 15 568 outpatient prescriptions containing metformin were collected, including 9 146 prescriptions for male patients and 6 422 prescriptions for female patients. A total of 14 902 prescriptions contained combined medication. The drugs used in combination included other hypoglycemic drugs, antiplatelet drugs, antihypertensive drugs, lipid-lowering drugs, and neuroprotective drugs. The drug transporters including aspirin, atorvastatin calcium, repaglinide, bisoprolol, metoprolol and clopidogrel had a potential interaction with metformin. There were 11 614 prescriptions containing drug transporters and metformin, including 5 938 prescriptions inhibiting organic cation transporter 1 and 5676 prescriptions inhibiting organic cation transporter 2.Conclusion:There is no incompatibility between the outpatient prescriptions containing metformin and the commonly used drugs for chronic diseases, but the outpatient doctors do not have enough knowledge about dose adjustment caused by potential interaction.