Over the counter drugs and self-medication: A worldwide paranoia and a troublesome situation in India during the COVID-19 pandemic

Ray, Ishita; Bardhan, Mainak; Hasan, Mohammad Mehedi; Sahito, Abdul Moiz; Khan, Erum; Patel, Suyog; Jani, Ishan; Bhatt, Parjanya Keyurbhai; Sp, Rohini; Swed, Sarya

doi:10.1016/j.amsu.2022.103797

Cited by 18 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 35 publications

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“…A previous study from the Middle East during the pandemic reported similar findings on social media platforms being the most common source of information among people [58]. Also, during the pandemic, the use of corticosteroids (Dexamethasone) as a preventive medication increased due to the media blitz among patients [59,60]. In addition, in dermatology, an increase in oral and topical corticosteroid usage as self-medications during COVID-19 was reported as well [61].…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 56%

Assessment of Knowledge, Perception, Experience and Phobia toward Corticosteroids Use among the General Public in the Era of COVID-19: A Multinational Study

et al. 2023

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Background: Corticosteroids play a significant role in managing the vast majority of inflammatory and immunologic conditions. To date, population-based studies on knowledge and attitudes concerning corticosteroids are scarce. This study aims to comprehensively assess knowledge, perception, experience and phobia toward corticosteroid use among the general population in the era of COVID-19. Methods: A cross-sectional self-administrated questionnaire was used to collect the data from 6 countries. Knowledge and corticophobia scores, descriptive statistics and logistic regression were computed. Results: A total of 2354 participants were enrolled in this study; the majority were females (61.6%) with an average age of 30. Around 61.9% had been infected previously with COVID-19, and about one-third of the participants had experience with corticosteroid use. The mean knowledge score was relatively satisfactory (8.7 ± 4.5 out of 14), and Corticophobia ranked a high score in all countries. Age, female gender, and history of COVID-19 were positively correlated with developing corticophobia. Conclusion: Our study highlights that the general knowledge about steroids was satisfactory. However, the phobia toward its use upon indication is high. Therefore, enhancing awareness and providing essential counseling regarding the rational use of corticosteroids may reduce corticophobia.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 56%

Assessment of Knowledge, Perception, Experience and Phobia toward Corticosteroids Use among the General Public in the Era of COVID-19: A Multinational Study

et al. 2023

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“…With people confined to their homes, the Internet was the only source of information they had access to. Also, when the hospitals were filled with patients, people were afraid to go to the hospitals and started self-medication ( 2 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Prevalence of self-medication during COVID-19 pandemic: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Kazemioula

Golestani²,

Alavi³

et al. 2022

Front. Public Health

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BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic and restrictions on travel and quarantine measures made people turn to self-medication (SM) to control the symptoms of their diseases. Different studies were conducted worldwide on different populations, and their results were different. Therefore, this global systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to estimate the pooled prevalence of self-medication.MethodsIn this systematic review and meta-analysis, databases of Scopus, PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science were searched without a time limit. All eligible observational articles that reported self-medication during the COVID-19 pandemic were analyzed. Heterogeneity among the studies was assessed using Cochran's Q test and I2 statistics. A random-effects model was used to estimate the pooled prevalence of self-medication. The methodological quality of the articles was evaluated with the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale.ResultsFifty-six eligible studies were reviewed. The pooled prevalence of self-medication was 48.6% (95% CI: 42.8–54.3). The highest and lowest prevalence of self-medication was in Asia (53%; 95% CI: 45–61) and Europe (40.8%; 95% CI: 35–46.8). Also, the highest and lowest prevalence of self-medication was related to students (54.5; 95% CI: 40.8–68.3) and healthcare workers (32.5%; 16–49). The prevalence of self-medication in the general population (48.8%; 40.6–57) and in patients with COVID-19 (41.7%; 25.5–58). The prevalence of self-medication was higher in studies that collected data in 2021 than in 2020 (51.2 vs. 48%). Publication bias was not significant (p = 0.320).ConclusionDuring the COVID-19 pandemic, self-medication was highly prevalent, so nearly half of the people self-medicated. Therefore, it seems necessary to provide public education to control the consequences of self-medication.

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“…Nonetheless, evidence indicates that self-medication practice has been substantially triggered by COVID-19. 12,13…”

Section: Drivers Of Otc Medicine Misuse During Covid-19mentioning

confidence: 99%

The Abuse and Misuse of Over-the-Counter Medicines During COVID-19

Meslamani

Abdel‐Qader

2023

Hosp Pharm

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The abuse and misuse of OTC medicines is a common problem in community pharmacies and is expected to escalate during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, there is limited research on the patterns, causes, and consequences of these incidents during the pandemic. This article aims to provide evidence-based insights into the potential impact of COVID-19 on the abuse and misuse of OTC medicines, and suggest strategies for reducing these occurrences for pharmacy practitioners and healthcare managers.

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Over the counter drugs and self-medication: A worldwide paranoia and a troublesome situation in India during the COVID-19 pandemic

Cited by 18 publications

References 35 publications

Assessment of Knowledge, Perception, Experience and Phobia toward Corticosteroids Use among the General Public in the Era of COVID-19: A Multinational Study

Assessment of Knowledge, Perception, Experience and Phobia toward Corticosteroids Use among the General Public in the Era of COVID-19: A Multinational Study

Prevalence of self-medication during COVID-19 pandemic: A systematic review and meta-analysis

The Abuse and Misuse of Over-the-Counter Medicines During COVID-19

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