[Clinical relevance of drug interactions].

The identification, prevention, and solution of drug interactions are a critical aspect to achieved desired pharmacotherapy goals. The purpose of this review was to organize information about drug interactions, and to develop an approach to identify and evaluate drug interactions considered clinically relevant. Data for this review were identified by search of MEDLINE and PubMed and references cited in relevant articles. <<Drug interactions>> plus <<clinical relevance>>, <<clinically relevant>> or <<significantly relevant>> were searched in titles or in abstracts. Only papers published in English and Spanish from January of 1996 to June of 2006 and in humans were reviewed. We reviewed the type and mechanism of drug interactions, and we highlight those associated to changes in the systemic clearance or in the bioavailability. So, we provide an approach to evaluate and use the clinical relevance of drug interactions complemented with a classification based on the severity and probability of its occurrence.