Social Knowledge and Attitude toward Over-the-Counter Drug Use

Abstract

Introduction: With the increasing range of potent medicines available for sale 'over-the-counter' (OTC) in community pharmacies and the absence of data in Lebanon related to OTC abuse, this study sought to find opinions of the public regarding OTC medicines generally and explore views around potential misuse and abuse. Method: A cross sectional study was conducted in a community-based pharmacy setting in Lebanon. A structured random interview was used to patients visiting community pharmacy seeking for OTC drugs. Baseline characteristics and reason for self-medication were collected. The questionnaire consists of sections about sources and reasons of self-medication, attitudes towards community pharmacy and patient contact with pharmacies, attitudes towards the use of OTC medicines; views on OTC medicines' use in terms of safety, potency and effectiveness. Result: Overall this study revealed the knowledge and attitude of general public toward OTC use in Lebanon. Self-presentation on previous experience of the same medication or through pharmacist advice. Almost half requested OTC medications more than twice per year. This show the important role of pharmacist in guiding the patients on the correct OTC use. Around 60% agreed that some non-prescription medicines may cause dependency or addiction if taken for a long period of time. Conclusion: The findings of this research should form the basis for future interventional plans to maximize benefits and minimize risks of self-medication practice. Educational programs to population, pharmacists and health care providers should be implemented to limit the potential misuse/abuse of these medicines.

General Public Knowledge Regarding Topical Corticosteroids: A Nationwide Survey in South Korea

“…16) Previous studies had reported that doctors or pharmacists were the most frequent sources of medications among interpersonal channels. 15,[17][18][19] In our study, friends and/or family were most often selected at a higher rate than doctors or pharmacists. Although these sources might sometimes have professional knowledge, they are often unlikely to have any formal training in providing appropriate healthcare advice, which could lead to misuse or overuse.…”

Community Pharmacy Customers’ Knowledge and Perception towards Self-Medication with Over-the-Counter Drugs: A Cross-Sectional Study in Asmara, Eritrea

“…In simpler words, the respondents think that self-medication, if only practiced appropriately, is safer. A negative attitude towards the safety of self-medication with OTC drugs was also observed in studies conducted in India [21], Malaysia [22], Lebanon [23], and Northern Ireland [24]. But a study conducted in the neighboring country, Ethiopia, revealed an opposite attitude where 62.6% of the interviewees believed that non-prescription drugs are safe [13].…”

Public Awareness Regarding Corticosteroid Use and Side Effects: A Cross-Sectional Study in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

“…While friends and family may have some degree of proficient knowledge, they typically lack formal healthcare training, raising concerns about the potential for medication misuse or overuse [34]. On the contrary, earlier studies have indicated that physicians or pharmacists tend to be the primary sources of medication information within interpersonal networks [34][35][36][37]. Moreover, an earlier study revealed that social media sites were the primary source of information regarding corticosteroids for most of the participants [29].…”