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PubMed1984

A self-medication program for rehabilitation patients.

The purpose of this project was to develop and establish a self-medication program on the rehabilitation ward at Mount Sinai Hospital. Upon discharge most of the patients on this ward are responsible for the self-administration of medications, some of which they will be taking chronically. The objective of this program is to teach patients about their medications while still under medical supervision. Patients are counselled throughout the program by nurses and a pharmacist. Family members are also counselled on request. The program is completed by a final discussion with the patient prior to discharge. As a result of the program a manual was produced for use by pharmacy and nursing personnel to help define their respective roles in the program. Results of a patient survey indicated that a definite benefit was perceived by all patients who were helped to develop their ability to self-medicate. Errors made while in the hospital were discovered and corrected prior to discharge. Pharmacy time required to set up the program was, initially, extensive. Once the program was established, however, nursing medication administration time was greatly decreased and freed for other activities on the floor.

Hospital Bed Capacity, 300 to 499↗

PubMed2001

[Use of over-the-counter drugs containing ibuprofen in self-medication].

Ibuprofen (MO1AE01) is a suitable means for self-medication with regard to its relatively wide spectrum of indication, good tolerance, and safety. In the Czech Republic, OTC preparations containing ibuprofen represent frequently used medicaments. The paper examines solid divided dosage forms for oral administration. A survey based on questionnaires reveals in what indications and according to what dosing schemes the purchased preparations are used, and the paper evaluates possible risks. Strengthening of the role of the pharmacist as the provider of information on drugs, keeping patients' drug records in pharmacies, and deepening of the mutual cooperation of the physician and pharmacist would contribute to increase the safety of the use of the preparations under study.

Czech Republic↗

PubMed2005

Self-medicated over the counter ophthalmic solutions in central Bangkok.

BACKGROUND: There is a paucity of research about patients' attitudes, motivations and expectations towards self-medicated over the counter (OTC) ophthalmic solutions. OBJECTIVES: To identify the attitudes, motivations and expectations of general population towards self-medicated OTC ophthalmic solutions. MATERIAL AND METHOD: 200 consecutive participants who were studying or lived in Patumwan District of Bangkok filled in a questionnaire in a 3-months period. RESULTS: 67.5% (135/200) of the participants had an age range of 15-24 years old and 32.5% (65/200) were between 25-35 years old. Participants who were university graduates and currently university students were 53% and 35.5% respectively. Most history of illness was allergy (10/200). Half of the participants had normal vision and 40% (80/200) were near-sighted. The factor that most influenced the use of solution was dust in the eye (55%-111/200). Ocular allergic symptoms, such as eye itching, irritation and tearing, was the second. The most frequent symptom that induced the use of solutions was eye itching and irritation (48.5%-97/200). The symptom of red or pink eye was the second (33%-66/200). 48.5% (97/200) and 53.50% (107/200) of participants started using the solution at the time the influencing symptoms occurred and used for one day respectively. 46.5% (93/200) of the participants realized that the solution could be use only within 1 month after opening. CONCLUSION: From the data of this survey, more information and knowledge about the use of OTC products needs to be campaigned, even among highly educated citizens in the center of Bangkok. Better information for patients could improve the safety of OTC medicines. The ways of advising patients need to be found. The uncertainty is, therefore, how far this trend will go and how health care professionals and consumers will resspond.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Effect of self-medication with antimalarial drugs on malaria infection in pregnant women in South-Western Nigeria.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effect of self-medication with chloroquine and pyrimethamine on malaria infection and anaemia during pregnancy. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The study involved 210 women who attended Ade Oyo Maternity State Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria. Of these, 156 were pregnant women while 54 were not pregnant (controls). Of the pregnant women, 66 were primigravidae, while 90 were multigravidae. History of treatment of malaria with antimalarial drugs was obtained from the subjects. Gravidity and gestation period were also documented. Two millilitres of blood was withdrawn from each subject, for haematological parameters. Thin and thick films were prepared for malaria parasite identification and quantification. RESULTS: Of the primigravidae and multigravidae 68 and 16.4%, respectively, had taken antimalarial drugs prior to booking. Among primigravidae, only 18% of those with drugs compared with 32% without drugs were malaria-positive. The parasite density was significantly lower among those who took antimalarial drugs than among those who did not (976 +/- 60 versus 2,421 +/- 78, p < 0.05). Similarly, among multigravidae, only 16.4% of those who took antimalarial drugs compared with 34% of those who were not malaria-positive. The parasite density was also significantly lower in multigravidae with drugs than among those without drugs (350 +/- 45 versus 1,000 +/- 65, p < 0.05). The prevalence of anaemia (packed cell volume, PCV < 33) was high, 89% in primigravidae and 70% in multigravidae. Severe anaemia (PCV < 21) was more common in malaria-positive primigravidae and multigravidae than in malaria-negative women. CONCLUSION: The findings indicate that self-medication with chloroquine and pyrimethamine at booking was able to reduce the prevalence of malaria and anaemia in pregnancy.

Anemia↗

PubMed1994

Self-medication for the control of dental pain: what are our patients taking?

As all dental practitioners are aware, patients suffering from dental pain often self-medicate with over-the-counter (OTC) analgesics in order to alleviate their symptoms: indeed, some patients seem to view the use of these drugs as a means of avoiding the need for dental attendance altogether. The use (and abuse) of such medication is entirely under the control of the patient. The study reported in this article shows which commonly available analgesics are chosen by patients and how effective they are considered to be. The authors also assess the overall pattern of analgesic self-medication, and discuss the problem of over-consumption.

Acetaminophen↗

PubMed1996

A self-medicating applicator for control of ticks on deer.

A self-medicating applicator for killing ticks on deer and domestic ungulates by passive transfer of acaricides during feeding is described. The applicator consists of a barrel divided into a food bin (above) and a sealed self-contained acaricide reservoir (below) with a vertical, centrally-located ceramic column that extends from the reservoir into the food bin. Acaricide is drawn up the column from the sealed reservoir by absorption. Animals attracted to the food in the device acquire the acaricide during feeding when they contact the uppermost portion of the column. White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) readily utilize the applicator in penned and natural conditions. In a field study, examination of hunter-killed deer demonstrated that animals from a treated site were infested with many fewer Ixodes scapularis (3.4 +/- 1.1) than those from a control site (10.8 +/- 3.0). Chromatographic analysis of hair samples revealed traces of permethrin on three of the four animals examined, suggesting use of applicators by these deer. In a study using penned goats (Capra hircus) infested with Amblyomma americanum ticks, treatment efficacy reached 86.4% within 4 days of exposure to the applicators. Visual observations confirmed that all animals used the applicators. Gas chromatographic analysis of goat hair samples indicated that permethrin was detectable on all of the treated animals exposed to the device.

Animals↗

PubMed2003

Animal self-medication and ethno-medicine: exploration and exploitation of the medicinal properties of plants.

Early in the co-evolution of plant-animal relationships, some arthropod species began to utilize the chemical defences of plants to protect themselves from their own predators and parasites. It is likely, therefore, that the origins of herbal medicine have their roots deep within the animal kingdom. From prehistoric times man has looked to wild and domestic animals for sources of herbal remedies. Both folklore and living examples provide accounts of how medicinal plants were obtained by observing the behaviour of animals. Animals too learn about the details of self-medication by watching each other. To date, perhaps the most striking scientific studies of animal self-medication have been made on the African great apes. The great ape diet is often rich in plants containing secondary compounds of non-nutritional, sometimes toxic, value that suggest medicinal benefit from their ingestion. Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes), bonobos (Pan paniscus) and gorillas (Gorilla gorilla) are known to swallow whole and defecate intact leaves. The habit has been shown to be a physical means of purging intestinal parasites. Chimpanzees and man co-existing in sub-Saharan Africa are also known to ingest the bitter pith of Vernonia amygdalina for the control of intestinal nematode infections. Phytochemical studies have demonstrated a wide array of biologically-active properties in this medicinal plant species. In light of the growing resistance of parasites and pathogens to synthetic drugs, the study of animal self-medication and ethno-medicine offers a novel line of investigation to provide ecologically-sound methods for the treatment of parasites using plant-based medicines in populations and their livestock living in the tropics.

Animals↗

PubMed2005

Self-medication with antibiotics--does it really happen in Europe?

AIMS AND METHODS: The aim of this study was to determine whether antibiotics are used for self-medication in southern Spain, a region belonging to European Union. The data were collected by a survey in the Costa del Sol region, Spain during 2002 by using a convenience sample of 1000 Finns living permanently in the area (response rate 53%, n=530). RESULTS: Antibiotics were used by 28% of the respondents during the previous 6 months before the query. Of the antibiotic users, 41% had bought their antibiotics without a prescription. Clearly the most common indication for antibiotic use was common cold, with almost half (45%) of the antibiotic users reporting it as purpose of medication, followed by sore throat (17%). The number of courses did not differ between prescription and non-prescription antibiotic users, most (64%) of the users having used one course. Neither did the groups differ according to background variables used, including the frequency of experiencing adverse reactions. CONCLUSIONS: Unnecessary and unrational self-medication with antibiotics seems to be common in southern Spain among Finnish immigrants. This may indicate that Spanish health care system, including community pharmacies are failing their task in enhancing rational use of medicines. It is important that all the member countries within EU will take their responsibility in promoting public health goals in their national policy, e.g., in minimising the antibiotic resistance for expanding.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Substance-abusing schizophrenics: do they self-medicate?

In spite of having been formulated nearly two decades back, there is as yet no consensus on the validity of the clinically popular self-medication hypothesis (SMH) of substance use disorders in patients with dual diagnosis. SMH broadly proposes that patients use substances in a non-random fashion so that the psychopharmacologic characteristics of particular substances are used to alleviate a variety of psychiatric symptoms and emotional distress. In order to test the SMH empirically, it was broken down to five sub-hypotheses, which were tested in a group of dual-diagnosis schizophrenia (DDS) patients vis-à-vis a group of only-schizophrenia (S) patients (n = 22 each). The DDS group scored lower than the S group regarding general and some specific psychopathology. The DDS patients ascribed reasons for substance use more often for hedonistic pursuit but also for reduction in symptoms and distress. There was a trend for alcohol to be used more for self-medication purposes compared to opioids and cannabis. The perceived effects of these three substances were significantly different on several symptom/distress dimensions. Finally, there was some degree of "match" between symptom-oriented reasons for use of substances and the effect that was perceived. All of this evidence provides a consistent but modest support for the SMH for "some patients, some substances, and some symptoms." The implications are discussed.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1979

Self-medication in a developing country.

An interracial study on self-medication, including over-the-counter medication, as assessed by medications kept in the home, was carried out among a group of White, Indian and Black patients of differing sociocultural backgrounds. Whites had the most medications in their homes followed by urban Blacks, Indians and rural Blacks. The White section of the population appears to be as 'drug-dependent' as their counterparts elsewhere; the chain of events leading to this situation appears to be: sophistication + drug availability + social pressures = drug-dependence.

Black or African American↗

PubMed1989

In the shadow of biomedicine: self medication in two Ecuadorian pharmacies.

In Ecuador, as in most Third World nations, thousands of different prescription-only pharmaceuticals can be bought without a doctor's prescription. But how often does self medication actually occur? This study documents 619 prescription drug sales in two Ecuadorian pharmacies. In 51% of these sales, customers in fact present no prescription. Many of the drugs sold this way have serious side effects and must be used with care. Ecuadorian law greatly restricts information on drug packaging about side effects, indications, contraindications, schedule and dosage. Although the pharmacies differ with respect to self medication rates, drug choices, and clerk-customer interactions, both show the existence of a 'shadow system of biomedicine' in which prescription drugs are used without physician consultation. In view of the dominant role that transnational corporations play in Third World pharmaceuticals usage, this analysis incorporates a political economic perspective.

Cultural Characteristics↗

PubMed1999

Self-medication of antibacterials without prescription (also called 'over-the-counter' use). A report of a Working Party of the British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy.

The availability of antimicrobial agents for self-medication may increase and could include antibacterial agents for oral or topical use. Wholesale deregulation of antibacterials would be undesirable and likely to encourage misuse of classes of agents currently important in the management of serious infections. Changed regulation from Prescription-Only Medicine (POM) to Pharmacy (P) medicine of selected agents with indications for short-term use in specific minor infections and illness is likely to have advantages to the user. However, safeguards to their use would need to be included in the Patient Information Leaflet (PIL). Agents and indications for self-medication are discussed. Any alteration in licensed status from POM to P will require careful risk-benefit assessment, including the likely impact on bacterial resistance. Safety issues also include concerns relating to age of the user, pregnancy, underlying disease and the potential for drug interactions. The importance of appropriate information with the PIL is emphasized, as is the role of the pharmacist, while ways of improving adverse event notification and monitoring are discussed. The paucity of good denominator-controlled data on the prevalence of in-vitro resistance is highlighted, and recommendations for improving the situation are made. There are currently no levels of resistance accepted by regulatory bodies on which to base a licensing decision, be it for granting a product licence, renewal of a licence or a change in licensed status from POM to P. Due consideration should be given to: the validation of user-defined indications in comparison with those medically defined; the enhancement of pharmacy advice in the purchase of such agents; improved safety monitoring; the establishment of systematic surveillance of susceptibility data.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗

PubMed1989

Self-medication in urban and rural Zimbabwean communities.

1. A questionnaire examining the use of, and knowledge about over-the-counter (OTC) drugs was administered verbally to representatives from 200 urban and 200 rural households. Self-medication was common in both groups but there were more drugs present in rural (336 items) than urban homes (231 items) with the differences largely due to the more frequent presence of traditional medicines in rural homes. 2. Analgesics were the commonest items in the homes of both groups. A positive urine screening test for aspirin, chloroquine, or antibiotics was found in 25% of urban and 27% of rural samples tested. Respondents who elected to use an OTC drug for a particular symptom usually chose an appropriate drug. 3. Rural respondents were more likely to use traditional medicines particularly for the treatment of cough, abdominal pain, and diarrhoea. 4. Knowledge about dosages, the possibility of adverse reactions, and the seriousness of potential poisoning with OTC drugs was inadequate and needs to be corrected for more efficient self-medication.

Adult↗

PubMed2000

Self-medication with vaginal antifungal drugs: physicians' experiences and women's utilization patterns.

BACKGROUND: In many countries, vaginal antifungal drugs have been released on over-the-counter (OTC) markets, yet little is known about women's management of their symptoms. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to judge the appropriateness of self-medication with vaginal antifungal drugs by examining utilization patterns and physicians' experiences of women's self-medication. METHODS: An anonymous questionnaire survey was carried out in 20 pharmacies in Finland of women buying OTC vaginal antifungal drugs in 1997. Out of the 453 questionnaires distributed, 299 (66%) were returned. A survey of a random sample of gynaecologists (n = 169) and specialists in general practice (n = 288) was carried out in 1996. The response rate was 77%. RESULTS: Nearly all women had used vaginal antifungal drugs previously, 49% during the previous 6 months. Most women did not report any difficulties with treatment, but 44% of women used the drug against recommendations. Half of the women had symptoms that are more likely to be related to infections other than Candida. Physicians had observed several disadvantages of self-treatment, with unnecessary use and use for the wrong indications being the most often reported. In all, 31% of gynaecologists and 16% of GPs reported that these adverse events had been clinically significant, with delay in the treatment of other infections being the most common problem. CONCLUSION: The results raise concerns about inappropriate use and women's ability to self-diagnose correctly. Because vaginal antifungal drugs are likely to remain on OTC markets, two ways to address these concerns are for physicians and pharmacy personnel to provide spontaneous information and to have more informative advertisements on vaginal antifungal drugs.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Self-medicating practices for managing chronic pain after spinal cord injury.

Spinal cord injured (SCI) persons often experience chronic pain. Methods of dealing with pain that the SCI client found helpful in the past may not be beneficial after the injury. This article describes a study of self-medication for the purpose of pain relief. Over-the-counter, prescription, or illicit drugs or alcohol are among the agents employed in self-medication. The rehabilitation nurse has a role in helping the SCI person to identify appropriate methods of managing chronic pain throughout life.

Adult↗

PubMed2003

Self-medication in social phobia: a review of the alcohol literature.

It is well documented that many individuals endorse the belief that alcohol reduces social anxiety. Individuals with social phobia, therefore, might be expected to use alcohol as a coping strategy in an attempt at self-medication. The purpose of the present paper was to review the published literature on the relationship between alcohol use and social phobia to test the self-medication hypothesis (SMH). Support for one aspect of the SMH was found; individuals with social phobia use alcohol to reduce anxiety. Support for the second premise, that alcohol actually reduces social anxiety, was less conclusive.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMed1979

Patients' expectations and intention to self-medicate.

I studied patients' expectations of receiving a prescription after a consultation with their general practitioner and their intention to buy a remedy from the chemist after leaving the surgery.Of a group of 368 patients, 56 per cent expected to receive a prescription and 24 per cent intended to self-medicate. A striking variation was found among patients attending each of the five doctors participating in the study. Patient expectation closely agreed with the prescribing rate per partner. No consistent relationship was found between a low prescribing rate and high self-medication rates. I suggest that by reducing prescribing and encouraging patients to be self-reliant in the management of minor ailments, it might be possible to reduce a general practitioner's workload and the amount of money spent on prescribing in general practice.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2005

[Knowledge, attitudes, and behaviour of the population of the Czech Republic to self-medication--II. Knowledge of and information about drugs].

A large survey carried out from June to September 2002 in the territory of the Czech Republic found and analyzed the knowledge of the population of the Czech Republic in relation to self-medication and o-t-c drugs and revealed the main problematic areas from the viewpoint of the public. The survey was particularly focused on the attitudes to the extending assortment of OTC drugs, self-medication in pregnancy, keeping drug records in pharmacies, and the introduction of basic, general advice on medicaments to the education in elementary schools. The results reveal that 36% of respondents think that the assortment of OTC drugs should be extended. There is also a highly alarming finding that for 36% of respondents the use of common OTC drugs during pregnancy represents a small risk and for approximately 5% it is completely riskless. Only 19% confirmed a great risk and 41% do not know. Drug records have won support of 31% of respondents, and 76% of respondents lend support to the inclusion of instruction on medicament to school education.

Adult↗