Knowledge, attitude and practice of over-the-counter drug among undergraduate medical students-a cross sectional study

Background: Self-medication of the over-the-counter (OTC) drug is practice all over the world. Although appropriate self-medication practice can address minor illness and is time and cost-effective, it can promote irrational use of medicine; prolong the illness, drug dependency and abuse. Medical students are the future medical practitioners and play the crucial role in counseling the patients. Therefore, the present study was conducted to assess the knowledge, attitude and practice of self- medication among undergraduate students. Methods: An institution based descriptive, cross sectional study was conducted after ethical approval was taken from the Institutional ethical committee of Gandaki medical college teaching hospital and research center (GMCTHRC) and data was collected from May to July 2018. Descriptive and correlation analysis were done with the data. The results were expressed in percentages. Results: Among 115 respondents, 60.9 % (70) were female and 39.1% (45) were male students. Majority of respondents (94.8%) believed that instruction on the label of the drugs should be followed and 78.3% respondents agreed that OTC drugs could interact with other prescribed drugs. However, only 53.9% respondents knew that OTC drugs were Group Ga drugs in Nepal. Despite good knowledge and attitude only 37.4% students had good practice in the rational use of the OTC drugs. Moreover, Antipyretic and analgesic drugs were the most commonly used drugs. However, only 36.84% respondents (p<0.05) knew about the correct dose and duration to take the drugs. Conclusions: We concluded that first year medical and dental should be motivated to use their knowledge into practice.

Information provision and retrieval by registered salespersons from consumers during over-the-counter drug sales – a questionnaire survey

Background In Japan, non-pharmacists who are accredited as registered salespersons can sell over-the-counter (OTC) drugs, and they play a very important role in supporting proper OTC drug use by consumers. The purpose of this study was to evaluate information provided to and information collected from consumers, and cooperation with pharmacists during OTC drug sales by registered salespersons, and to clarify their related concerns and behaviors. Methods A cross-sectional questionnaire-based survey of 385 registered salespersons working at 56 drugstores throughout Japan was conducted. Based on the questionnaire survey, the frequency of information provision/collection in various categories was determined for the registered salespersons. The relation between concerns of registered salespersons relating to OTC drug sales and the frequency of information provision/collection was examined. The frequency of consultation of registered salespersons with a pharmacist was calculated for registered salespersons with/without in-store pharmacists. The χ-square test or Fisher’s exact test was performed to assess the significance of differences. Results Two hundred and seven registered salespersons (53.7%) responded completely. A greater number of OTC drug purchasers per day was associated with a greater frequency of information provision about “side effects” and information collection about “favorite items” (alcohol, tobacco, health foods, etc.) (p < 0.05). One hundred and thirty-nine (67.2%) participants had concerns about “interactions between OTC drugs and prescription drugs”, and these concerns were related to the frequency of information provision/collection (p < 0.05). Regarding the frequency of consultation with a pharmacist, 35 of 46 participants (76.1%) working with pharmacists answered “always” or “usually”, whereas only 19 of 161 participants (11.8%) working without full-time pharmacists answered “always” or “usually”. More than half of the registered salespersons thought that cooperation with a pharmacist was necessary when they were “asked about concomitant use with prescription drugs” or “told that side effects happened.” Conclusions The results of this study show that experienced registered salespersons selling OTC drugs are more likely to collect information from consumers and to provide information to consumers. It appears to be important for registered salespersons to cooperate with pharmacists in order to provide and collect appropriate information about concomitant medications.

Statistical Study of Self Medication with OTC and Antibiotics in three major cities of Pakistan

Aim: To discover the frequency of self-medicine with antibiotics/OTC amongst population of 3 metro cities of Pakistan (Lahore, Multan, and Islamabad). Methods: As we realize that antibiotic resistance has the ability to have an effect on humans at any level of life, in addition to the healthcare, veterinary, and agriculture industries, making it one of the global’s most pressing public health issues. There are a couple of motives for resistance and the maximum not unusual are self-medication and pharma industries antibiotic wastage without remedy. The survey used was primarily based on a cross-Sectional examine that's used to collect data on a populace at a single factor in time. Results: The material required for this survey covered Performa containing a list of questions concerning self-medicinal drug with OTC drugs and antibiotics. One hundred patients from every metropolis have been interviewed in line with the Performa/ questionnaire. Conclusion: This survey indicated want for energetic involvement of health care experts, specially physicians and pharmacists, in educating and counseling the populace approximately the safe utilization of medication, even though it is hard to eliminate self-remedy practice legal rules can be made approximately the sale of OTC pills and antibiotics so as to maximize the exercise of rational use of medication. Keywords: Antibiotics, Prescription, Health Care, Rational, Wastage

Interdisciplinary Pharmacoeconomic Study of Pharmacotherapy of Cupping of Drunk Forms of Alcohol Dependence: Clinical and Pharmacological, Organizational, Legal and Marketing Experiment

An interdisciplinary pharmacoeconomic study of pharmacotherapy for the relief of alcoholic dependence on the basis of experimental clinical and pharmacological, organizational, legal and marketing studies. The scheme of basic pharmacotherapy of relief of drunken forms of alcohol dependence developed by the authors for the interdisciplinary study was used. Thirteen international nonproprietary names of drugs from Ukrainian (92.3%) and foreign (7.7%) manufacturers were selected. It was established that for pharmacotherapy of support of relief of drunken forms of alcohol dependence tablets occupy 23,1% of appointments of doctors, solutions – 76,9%. The scheme of pharmacotherapy in the relief of intoxicated forms of alcohol dependence includes 38.5% of international nonproprietary names of drugs with ATC code "A" - drugs that affect the digestive system and metabolism; 30.7% with ATC code "B" - drugs that affect the blood system and hematopoiesis; 15.4% with ATC codes of classification "C" – drugs that affect the cardiovascular system and "N" – drugs that affect the nervous system. Nomenclature and legal analysis showed that 92.3% of the studied drugs belong to prescription nomenclature and legal group; the share of OTC drugs is 7.69% (international nonproprietary name Antral).

ANALYSIS OF COMPLIANCE WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF GOOD PHARMACY PRACTICE FOR PHARMACEUTICAL CONSULTINGWHEN CHOOSING OTC DRUGS ON THE WEBSITES OF ONLINE PHARMACIES

Purpose of the study: to analyze the current state of Internet pharmacy websites in terms of compliance with Good Pharmacy Prac- tice requirements for pharmaceutical counseling for OTC-medicines. Methods. The study used the method of content analysis; a search was carried out in the search engines Google and Yandex for the keywords, «buy a pharmacy», «a drug store to buy a drug», «online pharmacy». TOP 25 pharma- cy websites were subjected to logical, comparative and structural analysis. The study consisted of 2 stages: an anal- ysis of the requirements of regulatory documents for pharmaceutical consulting when selling OTC drugs and an as- sessment of pharmacy websites in terms of ensuring compliance with these requirements when carrying out online commerce. Results. Studies of online pharmacy websites showed that most of the sites did not fully comply with the regulated require- ments: a pharmaceutical license is presented on 80% of sites, information on the type of pharmacy organization, on the impossibility of returning and exchanging pharmacy goods - on 76% of sites. The choice of OTC drugs based on symptoms within the framework of responsible self-medication was available on 24% of Internet pharmacy sites, but there were no indications of symptoms requiring immediate medical attention. Links to the State Register of Maximum Selling Prices were available on 8% of Internet pharmacy sites. Conclusion. Comparative analysis of information requirements in relation to pharmaceutical consulting in a pharmacy, reg- ulated by Orders of the Ministry of Health of Russia No. 80 «On approval of the Industry standard» Rules for the dispensing (sale) of medicines in pharmacies. Basic provisions «and No. 647n dated 31.08.2016» On approval of the Rules Good Pharma- cy Practice of Medicinal Products for Medical Use ”, Government Decree No. 697 of May 16, 2020“ On Approval of the Rules for Issuing Permits for Remote Retail Sale of Medicinal Products for Medical Use, Implementation of Such Trade ... ”, showed that most of the requirements for offline pharmacy were reflected in relation to Internet pharmacies, however, as a result of the analysis of Internet pharmacy websites, it was found that these requirements are not fully met. Additional criteria for evaluating online pharmacy sites corresponding to the level of pharmaceutical care in an offline pharmacy are proposed: the ability to select an OTC drug by symptoms within the framework of responsible self-medication, the presence of indications of symptoms that require immediate medical attention, the presence of instructions for the medical use of the drug in in ac- cordance with the State Register of Medicines, ensuring access to the State Register of maximum selling prices, availability of information on the actual shelf life of the medicinal products being sold.

Role of a Pharmacist in the Safe Self-medication – A Questionnaire-based Survey

Aims: This study aimed to investigate whether the place of the survey makes a significant impact on the responses regarding the process of self-medication, as well as the present pharmacists’ engagement in this process in the Sarajevo Canton. Study Design: An anonymous questionnaire-based survey. Place and Duration of Study: One public pharmacy and various public places in the Sarajevo Canton, Bosnia and Herzegovina, for five months, February–June 2019. Methodology: A total of 312 respondents was included. The first group (165 respondents) was surveyed in the pharmacy after buying an over-the-counter (OTC) drug, and the second group (147 respondents) was surveyed outside the pharmacy. Results: Pharmacists instructed 65% of respondents (72.73% in the first group and 57.14% in the second group) on how to take the purchased OTC drug and checked whether 55% of respondents (70.91% in the first group and 38.1% in the second group) bought an appropriate drug for their health problem. Only 25% of respondents (36.36% in the first group and 12.24% in the second group) was informed about the adverse effects, whereas 29% of respondents (41.82% in the first group and 14.97% in the second group) was informed about the potential contraindications or interactions of the purchased OTC drug. The statistical analysis showed a significant relationship between the responses to the questions and the place of the survey about providing information on the adverse effects (P = .03), comorbidities (P = .049), and general information about the purchased OTC drug (P = .04). Conclusion: In the Sarajevo Canton, pharmacists should be more actively involved in the process of self-medication and provide the necessary advice to patients consuming OTC drugs. Further research is needed so general conclusions could be drawn.

Communicating customer value proposition in the French pharmaceutical industry. The case of OTC drugs

Purpose This paper aims to investigate how pharmacies communicate their customer value proposition (CVP) in a complex and multiple-stakeholder setting. More specifically, from the pharmacists’ perspective, the study analyzes how CVP is articulated in complex settings/offerings and among multiple stakeholders; and elucidates the communication gap among stakeholders of the CVP. Design/methodology/approach Two studies were conducted to examine how offerings are communicated throughout the value chain. Through six in-depth interviews, Study 1 aimed to analyze how pharmacies articulate CVP for over-the-counter (OTC) drugs in a complex business-to-business-to-consumer setting. For Study 2, the data were collected from 113 French pharmacists to investigate the communication issues and to unveil the tools used to promote OTC drugs among the different stakeholders. Findings From the pharmacists’ perspective, the longer the chain, the more complex the efficiency of the CVP. This study conceives a new and adapted CVP as iterative and cumulative. This paper also highlights how value is distributed across the customer relationship in a complex and regulated industry. The findings feature a reciprocal perspective of CVP between the pharmaceutical labs and their direct/indirect customers. Final customers aim at creating a reciprocal approach with the different stakeholders. Pharmacists use a unidirectional perspective of CVP with their direct customers (patients/final customers). Originality/value The study contributes to a better understanding of the CVP in complex industries characterized by a chain of value distributed among multiple stakeholders (i.e. business-to-consumer and business-to-business). The article also enriches past research that analyzed the way firms communicate their offerings from a CVP perspective.

Behavior of Medical Students toward Over-the-Counter Drugs in Comparison to Students from Other Faculties, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Background: Over-the-counter-drugs (OTC) are drugs that can be obtained by patients without a prescription from a physician. In Saudi Arabia, it has been reported that more than half of university students practiced self-medication and used OTC drugs. Methods: An institutional-based cross-sectional study, among medical and non-medical students in Riyadh. The sample size was 421, by systemic random sampling. A pre-coded pre-tested online questionnaire was used. Data was analyzed using SPSS V 23. P-value ≤ 0.05 was considered significant. Results: There was no significant relationship between what the participants were majoring in and the usage of OTC drugs (p value= 0.373). Gender also had no relation with the use of OTC (p value= 0.168). Panadol appeared as the most commonly used OTC drug 62.9% for the relief of the most commonly mentioned factor which is headache 50.12%. Conclusion: Medical education didn’t have much of an effect on the use of OTC drugs. Moreover, professional guidance or advice was not considered most of the time for taking OTC, but the majority of respondents portrayed good behavior towards usage of OTC.

Forensische und strafrechtliche Konsequenzen des Missbrauchs von Stimulanzien

ZUSAMMENFASSUNGPharmakologisches Neuroenhancement (PN) beschreibt die Einnahme diverser psychotroper Substanzen zur geistigen Leistungssteigerung, ohne dass dafür eine medizinische Notwendigkeit bestünde. Dazu werden vor allem Stimulanzien (Methylxanthintyp wie Koffein und Amphetamintyp wie Methylphenidat, Amphetamine) sowie Nichtstimulanzien (z. B. Antidementiva, Antidepressiva und Phytopharmaka wie Ginkgo biloba) sowie Modafinil ge- bzw. missbraucht. Auch wenn die rechtliche Situation facettenreich ist, indiziert die Einnahme von Substanzen, die zum PN eingenommen werden, nicht stets die Anwendung des Strafrechts. Sowohl die indikationslose Einnahme von frei erhältlichen Over-the-Counter-Drugs (OTC-Drugs) sowie verschreibungspflichtigen Substanzen als auch von Betäubungsmitteln ist bislang weitgehend straffrei.

Pharma industry social communication in Italy: quantitative and qualitative analysis of data from a Social Observatory

Introduction. We developed a Social Observatory in the HealthCare (HC) & Pharma sector to better understand how the focus by Pharma companies on social communication has been implemented, following the new legislation that allows social advertising for over the counter (OTC) drugs. Methods and results. Activity on social networks between 01/06/2018 and 31/05/2019 has been analysed. The social channels monitored were: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube. Activity from 13 companies with HQ in Italy (Abiogen, Alfasigma, Angelini, Chiesi, Doc Generici, Dompé, Italfarmaco, Kedrion, Mediolanum, Menarini, Molteni, Recordati, Zambon) and 16 companies with HQ elsewhere (Abbvie, Amgen, Amway, Bayer, Gilead, GSK - Glaxo SmithKline, J&J/Janssen, Merck Serono, MSD, Nature’s Bounty, Novartis, P&G, Pfizer, Reckitt Benckiser, Roche, Sanofi) was captured and analysed using both quantitative and qualitative techniques. Italy HQ companies seem to use these channels to a lesser extent compared to companies HQs elsewhere. Examples of all the different Brand characters (i.e. Friendly, Playful, Warm, etc), tones (personal, honest, humble, etc) and purposes (engage, entertain, educate, etc) were captured and discussed in detail in the article. Conclusions. Pharma companies have a wide-ranging approach to communicating through social media. These data represent an important baseline to carefully analyse the evolution of social communication of HC&Pharma sector in Italy.