Investigation of Drug-Related Problems Identified by Pharmacists During Medication Review in Geriatric Patients at a Hospital in Abeokuta, Ogun State

Drug-related problems in elderly patients represent a significant patient safety issue in Nigerian hospitals, where polypharmacy is common and systematic pharmaceutical review of geriatric patients is infrequent. In Ogun State, the Federal Medical Centre Abeokuta serves a large geriatric outpatient population with multiple chronic conditions. This study investigated drug-related problems identified during structured pharmacist-conducted medication reviews in geriatric patients at FMC Abeokuta. Medication reviews were conducted by a trained clinical pharmacist in 120 consecutive geriatric outpatients aged 65 and above. Drug-related problems were classified and coded using the PCNE classification system. Outcomes included type and frequency of DRPs, potential clinical consequences, pharmacist interventions, and physician acceptance rates. A total of 284 DRPs were identified across 120 patients, averaging 2.4 DRPs per patient. Drug-drug interactions, inappropriate drug selection according to Beers Criteria, and subtherapeutic doses were the most prevalent DRP categories. Cardiovascular medicines and analgesics were most frequently implicated. Pharmacist interventions were accepted by prescribers in 73% of cases, resulting in documented clinical resolution of DRPs in 58%. Patients with five or more concurrent medicines had a significantly higher DRP burden. These findings demonstrate that structured pharmacist medication reviews identify clinically significant DRPs in geriatric patients at FMC Abeokuta, supporting the integration of pharmacist-led medication review into routine geriatric outpatient care. Keywords: drug-related problems, geriatric patients, medication review, PCNE classification, Abeokuta.