When prescribing or selling drugs to patients, one of the main concerns of both pharmacists and doctors is the possibility of a drug interaction. In simple terms, a drug interaction is the result of a patient experiencing symptoms or side effects due to the interaction between the ingredients of two or more medicines. Historically, both pharmacists and doctors kept extensive personal data about their patients to prevent these incidents from occurring. However, in more modern times, doctors of all levels, more specifically pharmacists, have relied on computers to track most of these drug interactions, making their job easier. Today, medicines are prescribed to patients by doctors at record higher rates in the world. United States than ever. The variety of professions that can prescribe drugs has increased significantly. To further complicate matters, the quantity and variety of medications available in pharmacies are also at an all-time high. These circumstances will inevitably lead to situations in which a doctor, pharmacist, nurse practitioner or physician assistant may unknowingly prescribe a medicine that in some way interferes with another medicine the patient is already receiving. Computers were first introduced into the world of pharmacy in 1974, and by 1983, widespread use of computers began to help eradicate this possible error. When a patient's medication may interfere with another medication they are currently taking, most computers used by modern chain pharmacies have the ability to indicate a DUR, which is a situation in which the computer requests the supervising pharmacist to review his decision to dispense the drug to the patient...... middle of paper......es use up-to-date technology like the rest of the medical field. It would greatly reduce the possibility of error if doctors, physician assistants and other prescribing professionals also developed better methods, such as the DUR model already adopted by pharmacies. This would create greater efficiency in prescribing and dispensing the correct medications and would greatly influence the effectiveness of the medicine without creating drug interactions. Works CitedMallet, L. (2007). The challenge of managing drug interactions in the elderly. The Lancet, 370 (9582). Preece, J. F. (1974). Journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners,24, 209-212.Baxter, K. (2010). Stockley drug interactions. London, England: Pharmaceutical PressGraedon, T and Graedon, J. (1997). Fatal drug interactions. Tampa, Florida: St. Martin's Griffin