Most common over-the-counter medications and effects on patients

M. Kamal, W.A. Negm, A.M. Abdelkader, A.A. Alshehri, G. El-Saber Batiha, H. Osama

Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Fayoum University, Fayoum, Egypt. walaa.negm@pharm.tanta.edu.eg

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• Pharmacology

OBJECTIVE: The self-medicating practice of using over-the-counter (OTC) medications are more common than prescription drug use worldwide. OTC drugs are primarily used to treat conditions that do not require direct medical attention or supervision, and OTC drugs must be demonstrated to be reasonably safe and well-tolerated. The pharmacy profession describes their role in dispensing over-the-counter (OTC) products as “selecting the best medication according to reported symptoms”. This study aimed to evaluate the use of most common over-the-counter (OTC) medications and their effect on patients.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional survey-based study was conducted on 442 participants who used OTC drugs from June to November 2021.

RESULTS: The most common OTC drugs used by patients involved in the study were paracetamol (13.35%), followed by ibuprofen (2.04%). Gender of patients was significantly related to (duration, frequency, suggestion, and misuse) of OTC use and patient counseling by the pharmacist (p<0.05).

CONCLUSIONS: OTC medications can easily be obtained at pharmacies for the purpose of self-treatment. The most common OTC drugs used by the studied patients were paracetamol, followed by ibuprofen. It is suggested that an awareness program among community people be conducted at the community level regarding over-the-counter (OTC) drugs.

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