Skip to main content

Drug-Drug Interactions

Meaning

A clinical phenomenon where the pharmacological effect of one medication is altered by the simultaneous presence of another medication in the body, leading to an effect different from that expected when the drugs are given alone. These interactions can result in either an enhancement of therapeutic effects, potentially causing toxicity, or a reduction in efficacy, resulting in treatment failure or suboptimal patient outcomes. Careful medication reconciliation and understanding pharmacokinetic pathways are essential to prevent adverse events in patients on complex hormonal or metabolic regimens.