Responsible self-medication: review of the process of pharmaceutical attendance

Abstract

This article presents a review, based on a qualitative study, of pharmaceutical orientation in the management of minor illness. Action research methodology was used by a group of faculty members responsible for the community pharmacy internship and by postgraduates in clinical pharmacy, to carry out the study with the objective to present a standard service for this kind of procedure. The interaction with the individual starts with a welcoming reception, at which point the pharmacist should be receptive and show empathy. Subsequently, data from the history of the patient are collected to obtain relevant information. Based on this information, the pharmacist must develop a line of clinical reasoning and make a decision, taking the context of the patient into account. After this analysis, the most appropriate intervention is performed. This intervention could indicate the need for referral to another health professional, the use of a non-pharmacological therapy or the provision of sound advice on medicines available without prescription. The next step is monitoring the patient in order to identify the effectiveness and safety of treatment. The standardization process of pharmaceutical attendance in the management of minor disorders contributes to the rational use of medicines.Uniterms: Self-medication. Community pharmacy. Drugs/rational use. Pharmaceutical orientation. Responsible self-medication. Minor illness.A reflexão apresentada neste artigo representa um estudo de abordagem qualitativa baseada na pesquisaação da prática do atendimento farmacêutico no manejo de transtornos menores, realizada pelo grupo de professores do Estágio em Farmácia Comunitária e por farmacêuticos pós-graduados em Farmácia Clínica, com o objetivo de realizar uma proposta de atendimento padrão para este tipo de procedimento. A interação com o indivíduo é iniciada pelo acolhimento, momento no qual o farmacêutico deve ser receptivo e empático. A seguir, se executa a coleta de dados sobre a história do paciente, para obtenção de informações relevantes. Com base nas informações, o farmacêutico deve desenvolver um raciocínio clínico e tomar uma decisão, levando em consideração o contexto do paciente. Após esta análise é realizada a intervenção mais adequada ou o conjunto dessas que podem ser: procurar outro profissional de saúde, utilizar uma terapia não-farmacológica ou auxiliar na escolha de um medicamento de venda livre. O próximo passo é o acompanhamento do paciente com vistas a identificar a efetividade e segurança do tratamento. A padronização do processo de atendimento farmacêutico no manejo de transtornos menores, contribui para o uso racional de medicamentos.

Self-medication in Children and Young Patients at University Dental Service

“…There are several sources for self-medication: sharing of prescription with members of the family or social circle, reusing leftovers, use of previous prescriptions etc. Furthermore, the large product offering, the attraction provided by fads, intense marketing of pharmaceutical industry and even cultural aspects also contribute for this situation [4,5] .…”

Assessment of Self-medication Practices for Treatment of Illnesses among School-children in Southeast Nigeria

“…This has a mean score of 3. Hence, an aggregate mean score above 3 points indicates that the respondents agreed with the statement, while an aggregate mean score below 3 indicates a disagreement with the statement [11]. Therefore, remarks revealed the overall opinion of the respondents as either as "Agreed" or "Disagreed" [11].…”

“…A review study [10], observed that 50-75% of treatment in the United States and Britain were through selfmedication. Consumers' depth knowledge on drug information and accurate recognition of symptoms of illness, personal medical history, indication and contraindications are some of the variables needed for responsible selfmedication [11]. Nonetheless, drug resistance, drug-induced disease, bacterial infection, hypersensitivity, drug withdrawal syndrome, and even death are occurrences that can result from inappropriate use of self-medication [3,12].…”

Self-Medication Practice Among Consumers in Sana’a City

“…It plays an important role in some developing and economically poor countries. However, it was found to be related to socio-economic factors, availability of medications, law, advertisement and lifestyle [2].…”