Studies in Support of Special Populations

4. Interaction between Medicine Studies (Medicines Interaction)

Interactions are of particular importance to elderly patients, who are more likely to be using more than one medicine at the same time (called ‘concomitant’ medicines). The use of concomitant medicines is not limited to the elderly age group.

Specific studies for the interaction between medicines should be considered when:

  • The therapeutic range of the medicine or likely concomitant medicines is ‘narrow’ – i.e. there is not much of a gap between a potentially ‘safe and effective’ dose and a ‘toxic’ dose, and;
  • The likelihood of the patient taking the two medicines together is high.