Attitudes towards sales and use of over-the-counter drugs in Sweden in a reregulated pharmacy market: a population-based study

Hedenrud, Tove; Sundell, Karolina Andersson; Martinsson, Johan; Håkonsen, Helle

doi:10.1111/ijpp.12457

Cited by 17 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 23 publications

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“…Due to their greater availability and ease of acquisition, these drugs are consumed before or at the onset of symptoms. The percentage of consumption of OTC drugs obtained from our study results (78.9%) is higher than that reported in other countries such as Turkey (33%) and lower than Sweden (87%) [ 16 ], Czech Republic (92%), and Cyprus (97%) [ 17 ]. It is worth noting that almost six out of ten respondents had no medical condition or illness at all, and only 8.5% had an acute illness.…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 79%

Consumption of over-the-Counter Drugs: Prevalence and Type of Drugs

Sánchez-Sánchez

Fernández-Cerezo²,

Díaz-Jiménez

et al. 2021

IJERPH

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Recently, there has been an increase in the use of over-the-counter (OTC) drugs. The consumption of these medicines can be unsafe, as incorrect self-diagnosis or the ingestion of inappropriate doses can lead to side effects and the occurrence of adverse reactions and drug–drug interactions. A cross-sectional descriptive observational study was carried out, targeting the entire Spanish population by using an online questionnaire. The results showed that 78.9% of the subjects had previously taken or were currently taking OTC drugs. This consumption decreased as the age of the subjects increased, with a prevalence of 36.4% of subjects aged ≥71 taking OTC drugs. Analgesics were the most consumed OTC drugs (49.1%) especially in women, youngsters with non-formal educational qualifications, and individuals of a low–medium socioeconomic level residing in urban areas. Measures should be implemented to optimize the safe use of OTC drugs in order to avoid the occurrence of secondary events associated with the lack of knowledge related to their the usage.

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Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 79%

Consumption of over-the-Counter Drugs: Prevalence and Type of Drugs

Sánchez-Sánchez

Fernández-Cerezo²,

Díaz-Jiménez

et al. 2021

IJERPH

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“…15 Previous studies performed in Spain (78.9%), the Czech Republic (92%) and Sweden (87%) showed that a lower number of people used OTC drugs than current study. 2,15,16 The high prevalence of OTC drugs in the current study might be due to cultural diversity. There are many different ethnicities in the UAE, whereas the population is composed of around 20% as UAE nationals and the reminders are expatriates.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 88%

An exploration of individual knowledge and behavior for utilizing OTC drugs and dietary supplements for health enhancement: An empirical analysis from Dubai

Kittisopee¹,

Thin²,

Nakpun³

et al. 2022

PHARMPRACT

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Background: Self-medication and acquisition of over-the-counter (OTC) drugs are emerging community health issues. Besides being a cheap alternative for treating common illnesses, the behavior entails serious ramifications, such as medication wastage, increasing pathogen resistance, and adverse drug reactions. So, the purpose of the present study was to explore and understand the consumption of commonly used OTC drugs and dietary supplements in Dubai and also assess individuals' self-care behaviors related to OTC and dietary supplements. Methodology: A cross-sectional study design was adopted in the present study and 200 participants were included in this study. Data was entered and analyzed through SPSS version 22. While the chi-square test was conducted to find out significance among variables. Findings: Results from the current study showed that more than a quarter of the participants (31%) were male and 69% of them were females. The prevalence of OTC drugs and dietary supplements was higher (98%) among the individuals living in Dubai. The majority of participants (80%) used analgesics as OTC drugs. Results also revealed that 35.5% of participants used vitamins on a daily basis, 11% used them on weekly basis, and 5.5% used them on monthly basis. While 79.5% of participants obtained their OTC drugs and dietary supplements from community pharmacies. Conclusion:This study provides significant findings regarding an individual's knowledge and behavior for utilizing OTC drugs and dietary supplements. The result has drawn from the present study can help the policymakers, and stakeholders to promulgate and effectiveness of policies and program implementation within the country. Lastly future studies with larger samples are required for the generalizability of the study results.

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“…These results are reinforced by the findings of a recent systematic narrative review of 127 empirical studies that revealed that a significant proportion of consumers were unable to accurately interpret information found on OTC medication and that label formatting/design, including standardization of information using fact tables and contrasting color panels, was preferred and best attracted consumer attention (Boon and Bozinovski, 2019). Adding to those results, Hedenrud et al (2018) found increased use of OTC drugs at the first sign of illness in a study conducted in Sweden with more than 4,000 participants. They state that this result illustrates the need for continuous education of the population about self-care with OTC drugs.…”

Section: Theoretical Backgroundmentioning

confidence: 63%

Vulnerability of poorly literate adult consumers regarding over-the-counter drugs

Bernardes

Mattoso

Bouzada

et al. 2020

IJPHM

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Purpose This study aims at verifying the impact of literacy on over-the-counter (OTC) drug consumer vulnerability as evaluated by health literacy and label comprehension. Design/methodology/approach The item response theory (IRT) was used to estimate the health literacy of two groups and the two-way analysis of variance tests was used to test the hypotheses for the existence of mean differences between the two populations. The convenience sample involved 188 OTC consumers: 94 (50%) poorly literate and 94 (50%) university students/graduates. Findings University consumers/graduates have a level of health literacy and label comprehension that is superior to those presented by poor literate consumers. Also, age does not influence the level of health literacy by OTC drug users but has a significant impact on the understanding of OTC drug labels. Finally, the level of schooling and the “age group,” simultaneously, does not impact the understanding of OTC drug labels or health literacy. Research limitations/implications This study has added in the field of knowledge by investigating the behavior of poor literate consumers in Brazil, a developing country. The results may be relevant to Marketing professionals, especially those in the pharmaceutical industry, and to police makers, as they help identify the main problems faced by poorly literate consumers. Practical implications It is necessary to raise awareness of the dangers of self-medication and wrong use of medications, mainly focused on people with low literacy. As a suggestion, a simple glossary presented along with the label could provide explanations of scientific terms, thus increasing health literacy and reducing the vulnerability of the consumers. Social implications This study showed that when using common words such as gastritis to define a health problem, there is a higher degree of correctness. These results suggest the adoption of a more straightforward language and more precise explanations. By doing that, the pharmaceutical industry and policymakers will improve their social impact by increasing consumer power and taking care of the health of the most vulnerable population: the illiterate people. Originality/value This study contributes to the international literature, as it enhances and clarifies the knowledge about the customers’ power and vulnerability in developing countries. It fills a gap by evaluating label comprehension and heath literacy at the same time, giving an academic contribution for pharmaceutical consumers’ studies.

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Attitudes towards sales and use of over-the-counter drugs in Sweden in a reregulated pharmacy market: a population-based study

Cited by 17 publications

References 23 publications

Consumption of over-the-Counter Drugs: Prevalence and Type of Drugs

Consumption of over-the-Counter Drugs: Prevalence and Type of Drugs

An exploration of individual knowledge and behavior for utilizing OTC drugs and dietary supplements for health enhancement: An empirical analysis from Dubai

Vulnerability of poorly literate adult consumers regarding over-the-counter drugs

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