Background: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients are at risk of acquiring drug-related problems (DRPs). However, there has been a lack of studies on DRPs in patients with RA up to now. Method: This retrospective study was conducted in a tertiary hospital in Malaysia from January 2012 to December 2017 with the purpose of assessing DRPs in RA patients and factors associated with its occurrence. A total of 200 patients who had received pharmacological treatment for RA were enrolled in this study. Assessment of DRPs was based on the Pharmaceutical Network Care Europe tool version 5.01. Results: A total of 289 DRPs with an average of 1.5±1.0 problems per patient were identified, in which 78.5% of the population had at least one DRP. The most common DRPs encountered were adverse reactions (38.8%), drug interactions (33.6%), and drug-choice problems (14.5%). Factors that had significant association with the occurrence of DRPs were polypharmacy (P=0.003), multiple comorbidities (P=0.001), hyperlipidemia (P=0.009), osteo (P=0.040), and renal impairment (P=0.044). These data indicated that the prevalence of DRPs was high among RA patients. Conclusion: Early identification of types of DRPs and associated factors may enhance the prevention and management of RA.

Objective: We aimed to analyze the clinical characteristics of patients with psoriasis and determine the predictive factors of psoriatic arthritis (PsA). Methods: This retrospective cohort study was performed among patients with psoriasis. Demographic and clinical data were collected. Psoriasis treatment was categorized as topical agents, phototherapy, oral therapy, and biologics. Predictive factors of PsA development were determined using logistic regression analyses. Results: We included 330 patients with psoriasis, and 83 (25%) patients developed PsA. Thirty-eight (45.8%) patients who developed PsA were Malay, 24 (28.9%) were Chinese, and 21 (25.3%) were Indian. The mean age of patients with PsA was 54.2 (±15.8) years, and the duration from diagnosis of psoriasis to diagnosis of PsA was 36 (3.5–114) months. Predictive factors for developing PsA were female sex (odds ratio [OR] = 3.33, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.78–6.22), presence of nail involvement (OR = 5.36, 95% CI 2.50–11.51), severe psoriasis (OR = 27.41, 95% CI 7.58–99.11), and oral systemic therapy prior to PsA diagnosis (OR = 4.09, 95% CI 2.04–8.22). Conclusion: Patients with psoriasis who are female, have nail involvement, severe skin psoriasis, and require oral systemic therapy for psoriasis may have an increased risk of developing PsA.