Abstract
Pregabalin (LyricaTM) is a neuropathic pain relief drug eliminated primarily via renal excretion with an urinary excretion rate of 90%. Safe clinical practice is to adjust its dose according to patient renal function. In this study, we investigated the occurrence of adverse events in 120 patients at Kouseikai Hospital who were prescribed pregabalin below the manufacturer's recommended dose between June 2010 and November 2013. The results indicated that 14 patients experienced adverse events affecting the central nervous system, such as dizziness and lethargy. Many of the adverse events appeared within 6 days after the start of drug administration. The weight of patients who experienced adverse events was significantly lower than that of those who did not (p=0.005). Patients with impaired renal function had a significantly higher incidence of adverse events (4% in 73 non-impaired renal function patients vs. 23% in 47 impaired renal function patients; p=0.003). Because of this association between impaired renal function and the incidence of adverse events of pregabalin, it is important for pharmacists not only to understand the renal function of individual patients accurately and to optimize their pregabalin dose accordingly prior to administration, but also to develop an individualized drug administration plan that takes patient weight into account.
