Drug scheduling by nurses and drug interactions in patients with cardiovascular diseases.

to identify and characterize the potential serious drug interactions in patients hospitalized with cardiovascular diseases, relating them to the schedules established for drug administration by nurses. a documentary, quantitative and sectional research. Ninety-nine prescriptions from patients admitted to the cardiology ward of a hospital in Rio de Janeiro for more than 48 hours were analyzed. Drug interaction was assessed using the Micromedex® software. The data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. serious interactions were evidenced in 22 drug pairs, most frequently at 6 p.m. and 6 a.m., times with higher dose scheduling performed by nurses. The most recurrent drug pairs involved in serious interactions were simvastatin + amlodipine and enoxaparin + clopidogrel. drug scheduling by nurses requires a review of the criteria for proposing schedules for drugs in order to ensure patient safety.