Understanding Drug Interactions

Abstract

This e-module aims to improve drug safety by providing learners with an understanding of the mechanisms by which drugs interact with other drugs, natural health products and foods. Rather than addressing each drug interaction that has been reported, this module will focus on understanding the mechanisms by which drugs and other substances interact to enable learners to predict the likelihood of drug interactions. Types of pharmacodynamic interactions that occur as a result of the actions of drugs on the body will be illustrated with animations that provide specific examples. The bulk of the module will focus on interactions that result from effects on drug absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion, and are generally less intuitive. The module will provide comprehensive explanations of interactions involving drug metabolizing enzymes and drug transporters that enables learners to adopt a framework for predicting drug interactions. Learners will work through case studies that require them to identify appropriate sources of accurate information than can be quickly accessed to influence prescribing and patient care.

The goals of this e-module will be achieved through the following objectives: 1. To collaboratively design an online learning module for learners in health care professions (e.g., medicine, pharmacy, nursing, dentistry) and life sciences (e.g., graduate and undergraduate students) that explains the mechanisms of drug interactions using an engaging multimedia approach--2. To familiarize learners with how to access and interpret information related to drug interactions--3. To recognize that natural health products and foods can contribute to drug interactions--4. To establish an approach to safe prescribing that avoids adverse drug interactions while enabling consideration of how to create drug interactions for better drug therapy--5. To allow learners to self-assess their ability to predict drug interactions through embedded evaluations--6. To share an approach to multimedia module design that facilitates future module development--7. To create a digital online module optimized for accessibility and inclusivity that can be adapted for a variety of target audiences.