Introduction:

Food-drug interactions may be caused by alterations in pharmacokinetic mechanisms. Most problems occur during drug absorption. The result may be a variation in bioavailability and could have clinical repercussions. Healthcare professionals should receive ongoing education to optimize treatment.

Objective:

To identify possible drug-food interactions in patients with cardiovascular diseases and develop an educational program to increase the level of information.

Methods:

We conducted a descriptive study on the characteristics of drug and food administration in the elderly. We analyzed the medical records of 35 patients with cardiovascular disease from a Nursing Home and conducted an individual interview with patients and healthcare workers. We also analyzed the drugs and food prescribed, as well as their respective administration schedules. Finally, an educational program was designed.

Results:

High blood pressure was the most frequent cardiovascular disease (77.2%), which is why antihypertensive drugs are the most frequently prescribed. In most cases, they are administered together with food (80.0%). Based on the deficiencies found, we began the design of an educational program. We created a poster and agreed to hold educational talks for the patients on general aspects of the subject. Moreover, we offered a postgraduate course for the healthcare staff on pharmacokinetics, foods that modify it, and administration schedules.

Conclusions:

We were able to ascertain the co-administration of drugs and food. Both patients and healthcare personnel received an educational program based on this aspect.

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