Prescription rate of medications potentially contributing to lower urinary tract symptoms and detection of adverse reactions by prescription sequence symmetry analysis

BACKGROUND: The lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) increases with age and can have a significant effect on the quality of life of the patients. Elderly patients, who are often characterized by a decline in physiological functional and polypharmacy, are susceptible to adverse drug reactions to pharmacotherapy. LUTS can also be a side effect of medication. The purpose of this study was to investigate the possible association between the initiation of LUTS-causing drug therapy and the onset of LUTS. METHODS: Drug dispensing data at the individual level were retrieved from the CISA (Platform for Clinical Information Statistical Analysis: http://www.cisa.jp) database. A retrospective study was conducted by reviewing patients with LUTS who were dispensed drugs that increased the risk of LUTS between April 2011 and March 2012. Prescription sequence symmetry analysis (PSSA) was employed to investigate the associations between the dispensing of medicines of LUTS and that of LUTS-causing drugs. RESULTS: LUTS-causing drugs were frequently dispensed to patients with LUTS. The use of medications potentially contributing to LUTS was associated with polypharmacy [number of prescription drugs:12.13 ± 6.78 (user) vs. 5.67 ± 5.24 (nonuser)] but not patient age [ age: (71.38 ± 13.28 (user) vs. 70.45 ± 14.80 (nonuser)]. Significant adverse drug events were observed the use of donepezil, cyclophosphamide, antiparkinson drugs, antidepressant, diazepam, antipsychotic drugs for peptic ulcer, tiotropium bromide, and opioids. CONCLUSIONS: The use of prescription LUTS-causing drugs was correlated with polypharmacy. The adverse drug events associated with LUTS-causing drugs were highly prevalent in elderly patients. To prevent of adverse drug events in patients with LUTS, pharmacists and physicians should regularly review medication lists and reduce the prescribed medicines. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s40780-014-0004-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.