Study on Self Medication Patterns and Perspectives of Over the Counter (OTC) Drugs

Résumé fourni par la source

The increasing trend in self-medication with over- the-counter drugs may raise the interactions, adverse reactions and misuse / abuse of such products. Hence the aim of the study was to investigate the self-medication patterns as well as the general public’s opinion and perceptions regarding safety, potency and effectiveness of OTC medicines. Study was carried out as a structured interview technique by using a questionnaire. Out of 250 participants, at most one-third of the participants (27.38%) reported buying OTC drugs monthly and the majority (77%) always or often follow the directions on the packages. The main factor which most frequently influence the choice of OTC medications was the previous usage of medication (50.39 %). This study revealed that OTC stockage at home was very common. Regarding safety, potency and effectiveness showed that about (77.38%) participants agreed the longer usage may cause dependency or addiction, incorrect usage produce serious problems (76.19%) followed by (72.22%) participants reported continuous usage may lose the effectiveness of the OTC drugs. This survey revealed that general public had a high level of awareness about safety, potency and effectiveness of OTC medication.

Ce résumé expose les affirmations des auteurs. BNTIC ne l’interprète pas comme une validation indépendante des résultats.