What is the attitude towards and the current practice of information exchange during self-medication counselling in German community pharmacies? An assessment through self-report and non-participant observation

Background: Management of minor ailments through self-care and self-medication brings both benefits and risks that can be mitigated if consumers and pharmacy personnel engage in information exchange during over-the-counter (OTC) consultations. Objective: Explore the feasibility of interventions using situational cues to promote information exchange between pharmacy personnel and consumers, during OTC consultations. Methods: Intervention tools were developed prior to conducting the study, in two community pharmacies in Perth, Western Australia. The situational cues included two posters and individual position badges. Data were collected from audio-recording OTC consultations, consumer questionnaires and interviews, and pharmacy personnel interviews. Results: Space required for posters and for researchers conducting interviews was challenging in the retail environment. Pharmacy personnel perceived that the badges positively impacted -consumers’ ability to identify the position of personnel they engaged with. Data collection methods were deemed practical and acceptable. Conclusions: The proposed interventions and evaluation methods were feasible. The use of posters and badges as situational cues to address the barriers to information exchange during OTC consultations was found to be practical, in a community pharmacy setting. There is potential to use situational cues to address other barriers identified to information exchange, to add to the effectiveness of the intervention. With growing emphasis on self-care and self-medication, effective interventions are necessary to promote information exchange to enhance appropriate management in community pharmacies.

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Public perception of community pharmacists in South Africa: a preliminary study

Health SA Gesondheid ◽

10.4102/hsag.v11i3.234 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 11 (3) ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Suzanne Bornman ◽

Ilse Truter ◽

Daniel JL Venter

Keyword(s):

South Africa ◽

Full Text ◽

Public Perception ◽

Community Pharmacists ◽

Community Pharmacies ◽

Self Medication ◽

Over The Counter ◽

Preliminary Study

This survey forms part of a study undertaken to identify and quantify the community pharmacist’s involvement in the use of non-prescription/over-the-counter (OTC) medicine/self-medication in community pharmacies throughout South Africa. Opsomming Hierdie opname vorm deel van ‘n studie wat onderneem word om die gemeenskapsapteker se betrokkenheid in die gebruik van nie-voorskrif/oor-die-toonbank medikasie/ selfmedikasie in gemeenskapsapteke in Suid Afrika te identifiseer en te kwantifiseer. *Please note: This is a reduced version of the abstract. Please refer to PDF for full text.

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Women’s attitude toward gynecological pain in fertile age: Results from a cross-sectional study among Italian community pharmacies

Journal of Endometriosis and Pelvic Pain Disorders ◽

10.1177/2284026518776148 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 10 (2) ◽

pp. 88-94

Author(s):

Corrado Giua Marassi ◽

Assunta Pistone ◽

Fabio Parazzini ◽

Silvia Vannuccini ◽

Felice Petraglia

Keyword(s):

Medical Treatment ◽

Pelvic Pain ◽

Epidemiological Data ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Community Pharmacies ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Self Medication ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Mean Delay ◽

Italian Community

Introduction: Several epidemiological data on women afferent to clinics for medical treatment of pelvic pain are available, while few studies explored the general population. Thus, this study aimed to investigate women presenting with gynecological pain at the community pharmacy and to evaluate the relevance of pharmacist advice regarding medical treatment. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in a sample of 10 Italian community pharmacies, by administering a structured questionnaire to fertile age women reporting pelvic pain during the last 3 months. Questions were concerning demographic information, pain characteristics, women’s behavior toward gynecological pain, and diagnosis possibly received from a physician. Results: A group of 290 women were interviewed. Severe pain was reported in 58.3%, with a mean ± SD of 4.4 ± 6.8 days of suffering, causing absenteeism from work in 45.3% of cases. Almost half of women reported that the onset of gynecological pain was before 15 years and 72.2% had consulted a physician in the past, with a mean delay of 2.5 ± 4.3 years between the onset of pain and medical consultation. However, only 28% of the overall population received a diagnosis. 51.0% received one treatment, while 39% received two or more. The first therapy was prescribed in 40.2% cases by the physician, while in the remaining it was recommended either by the pharmacist or it was a self-medication. Conclusion: Gynecological pelvic pain is a disabling problem, regardless of the underlying cause, with significant impact on social and working life and requiring a better medical management.

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The management of upper gastrointestinal symptoms: A study on community pharmacies in Italy

Pharmacia ◽

10.3897/pharmacia.68.e66065 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 68 (2) ◽

pp. 401-409

Author(s):

Enrico Keber ◽

Paolo Rocco ◽

Umberto M. Musazzi ◽

Antonio M. Morselli-Labate ◽

Nicolina P. Floris ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Gastrointestinal Symptoms ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Community Pharmacies ◽

Medication History ◽

Self Medication ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Therapeutic Class ◽

Gi Symptoms ◽

History Of ◽

Upper Gastrointestinal

Upper gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms are usual complaints among patients presenting to Italian community pharmacies. However, information on treatment history of those patients is often lacking. This descriptive, cross-sectional study aims at exploring the medication history of individuals with upper GI tract symptoms visiting one of the 20 enrolled community pharmacies, over a period of 7 months, based on the administration of a questionnaire. Of 1,020 interviewees, 62.1% had asked for a medical consultation. The most frequent symptom was epigastric burning (31.8%), followed by acid regurgitation (14.6%) and post-prandial fullness (12.0%). Of the 1,609 therapies, proton pump inhibitors constituted the most represented therapeutic class (35.6%) followed by antacids (17.5%) and alginate-based products (17.2%). In treating symptoms, 38.1% of the patients do not seek medical advice, while 42.0% rely on non-prescription therapies. As findings suggest, support to patients with GI disorders in community pharmacies can be enhanced for a safer self-medication.

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A pilot study of the S-MAP (Solutions for Medications Adherence Problems) intervention for older adults prescribed polypharmacy in primary care: study protocol

Pilot and Feasibility Studies ◽

10.1186/s40814-019-0506-6 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 5 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

D. E. Patton ◽

J. J. Francis ◽

E. Clark ◽

F. Smith ◽

C. A. Cadogan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Pilot Study ◽

Process Evaluation ◽

Behaviour Change ◽

Older Patients ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Theoretical Domains Framework ◽

Self Report ◽

Community Pharmacies ◽

Behaviour Change Techniques ◽

Limited Effectiveness

Abstract Background Adhering to multiple medications as prescribed is challenging for older patients (aged ≥ 65 years) and a difficult behaviour to improve. Previous interventions designed to address this have been largely complex in nature but have shown limited effectiveness and have rarely used theory in their design. It has been recognised that theory (‘a systematic way of understanding events or situations’) can guide intervention development and help researchers better understand how complex adherence interventions work. This pilot study aims to test a novel community pharmacy-based intervention that has been systematically developed using the Theoretical Domains Framework (12-domain version) of behaviour change. Methods As part of a non-randomised pilot study, pharmacists in 12 community pharmacies across Northern Ireland (n = 6) and London, England (n = 6), will be trained to deliver the intervention to older patients who are prescribed ≥ 4 regular medicines and are non-adherent (self-reported). Ten patients will be recruited per pharmacy (n = 120) and offered up to four tailored one-to-one sessions, in the pharmacy or via telephone depending on their adherence, over a 3–4-month period. Guided by an electronic application (app) on iPads, the intervention content will be tailored to each patient’s underlying reasons for non-adherence and mapped to the most appropriate solutions using established behaviour change techniques. This study will assess the feasibility of collecting data on the primary outcome of medication adherence (self-report and dispensing data) and secondary outcomes (health-related quality of life and unplanned hospitalisations). An embedded process evaluation will assess training fidelity for pharmacy staff, intervention fidelity, acceptability to patients and pharmacists and the intervention’s mechanism of action. Process evaluation data will include audio-recordings of training workshops, intervention sessions, feedback interviews and patient surveys. Analysis will be largely descriptive. Discussion Using pre-defined progression criteria, the findings from this pilot study will guide the decision whether to proceed to a cluster randomised controlled trial to test the effectiveness of the S-MAP intervention in comparison to usual care in community pharmacies. The study will also explore how the intervention components may work to bring about change in older patients’ adherence behaviour and guide further refinement of the intervention and study procedures. Trial registration This study is registered at ISRCTN: 10.1186/ISRCTN73831533

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Surveillance cultures, chains and holes in street level networking: dealing with drug users in Amsterdam (Netherlands) and Porto Alegre (Brazil)

Surveillance & Society ◽

10.24908/ss.v13i3/4.5352 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 13 (3/4) ◽

pp. 497-511 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Rafaela Rigoni

Keyword(s):

Law Enforcement ◽

Information Exchange ◽

Drug Users ◽

Illicit Drugs ◽

Participant Observation ◽

Surveillance Culture ◽

Porto Alegre ◽

Systematic Screening ◽

Street Level ◽

Surveillance Cultures

If surveillance is understood as a complex multi-dimensional process, then collaboration between health, social and law enforcement sectors can be viewed as a part of the surveillance culture of particular societies and urban settings. Policies towards illicit drugs usually build on a two-track approach—public health and public order—with different objectives that have to be negotiated daily by street level workers in the light of their differing beliefs on drug use. This paper brings examples of collaboration and non-collaboration among workers from social, health and law enforcement agencies in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, and Porto Alegre, Brazil in their daily interactions with drug users, to analyze the types of surveillance arising from these negotiations. The study utilizes results from 80 in-depth interviews with street level workers and 800 hours of participant observation carried out from February 2010 until March 2011, equally divided between the two cities. Different cultures of surveillance produce diverse state-citizen approaches in terms of coercion, care, and rights. In Amsterdam, close collaboration and information exchange among workers produce a ‘chain’ surveillance culture: an intensive screening allows drug users to have more access to care, yet, at the same time this can produce excessive control over users’ lives. In Porto Alegre, by contrast, insufficient collaboration produces a surveillance culture of ‘holes’: less systematic screening and lack of information sharing allows users to slip out of care, and of workers’ surveillance sight. Historically, though coming from apparently opposite extremes in terms of drug surveillance (respectively permissive and controlling), both Amsterdam and Porto Alegre in practice show surveillance cultures which combine care and order. Combinations, however, vary according to different assemblages between actors concerned with transforming drug users’ lives.

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Professional Advice and the Utilization of Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs at Community Pharmacies in the United Arab Emirates

International Quarterly of Community Health Education ◽

10.2190/tvyd-b2nb-21n1-x17l ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 21 (4) ◽

pp. 377-388

Author(s):

M. Y. Hasan ◽

M. Das ◽

A. Bener

Keyword(s):

Side Effects ◽

United Arab Emirates ◽

Disease Duration ◽

Community Pharmacies ◽

Self Medication ◽

Professional Advice ◽

Duration Of Disease ◽

Inflammatory Drugs ◽

The Common ◽

Anti Inflammatory

The present study examined the pattern of Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) in relation to the source of advice. Ten community pharmacies in the United Arab Emirates were randomly selected and patients visiting these sites were interviewed using a standard questionnaire. The interview covered “source of advice,” “name of medicine,” “type of disease,” “duration of disease,” and “knowledge of adverse effects and drug interactions.” After a month the patients were contacted. On average 22.7% of prescriptions contained NSAIDs and 17.5% of visits were for these drugs. Advice from physicians was given to 33.3%, from pharmacists 32.5%, from friends 18.8%, and 15.4% depended on themselves. Other medicines were taken by 14.5% and 12% suffered from gastrointestinal upsets. Paracetamol followed by ibuprofen and diclofenac were the most frequently utilized agents. Headache, fever, and musculoskeletal pain were the common complaints. A month later, 50.7% of the patients continued taking their medications. This study revealed an association between the source of advice and knowledge of side effects. It is argued that, although self-care is important, professional advice in its support is essential since unsupervised self-medication exposes the patient to harmful consequences.

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Self-Medication Practices with Antibiotics and Antimalarials Among Sudanese Undergraduate University Students

Annals of Pharmacotherapy ◽

10.1345/aph.1k068 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 41 (7-8) ◽

pp. 1249-1255 ◽

Cited By ~ 32

Author(s):

Abdelmoneim I Awad ◽

Idris B Eltayeb

Keyword(s):

University Students ◽

Private University ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Community Pharmacies ◽

Age Group ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Self Medication ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Undergraduate University Students ◽

Study Population

Background: In many developing countries, up to 60–80% of health problems are self-medicated. Objective: To estimate the prevalence of self-medication with antibiotics and/or antimalarials and identify factors promoting such use among university students in Sudan. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was performed, using a pretested questionnaire on a sample of 1300 students selected from 5 universities in Khartoum State, Sudan. Results: Eight hundred ninety-one (79.5%; 95% CI 77.0 to 81.8) students from the study population had used antibiotics or antimalarials without a prescription within 1–2 months prior to the study. Four hundred ninety (55%; 95% CI 51.7 to 58.3) of the respondents stated that they had used antibiotics, 39 (4.4%; 95% CI 3.2 to 6.0) had used antimalarials, and 362 (40.6%; 95% CI 37.4 to 43.9) had used both. Overall, self-medication with antibiotics or antimalarials was significantly more common among students 21 years of age or older compared with those 20 years of age or younger (OR 1.55; 95% CI 1.15 to 2.09; p = 0.004) and among students attending private universities compared with those attending public universities (OR 1.42; 95% CI 1.04 to 1.95; p = 0.028). Self-medication with antibiotics followed a simitar pattern, which was significantly more common among students 21 years of age or older (OR 1.36; 95% CI 1.03 to 1.81; p = 0.03) and private university respondents (OR 1.52; 95% CI 1.15 to 2.02; p = 0.003). Self-medication with antimalarials was found to be significantly less common among females (OR 0.76; 95% CI 0.59 to 0.97; p = 0.028) and higher among the 21 years or older age group (OR 1.84; 95% CI 1.42 to 2.40; p < 0.001), The most common reason indicated for self-medication was the respondents’ previous experiences with similar ailments. The main source of drugs was community pharmacies. Conclusions: The prevalence of self-medication with antibiotics/antimalarials among undergraduate university students in Khartoum State is high. Our findings highlight the need for planning interventions to promote the judicious use of antibiotics/antimicrobials.

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