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At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1986

[Thoughts on the qualitative improvement of self medication].

Self medication is a necessary and important aspect of health care and is frequently and successfully used. The citizen has a certain right to reasonable self medication. A small percentage of our population however uses self medication in a risky and uncritical way. This has medical and economical consequences. The characteristics of drugs, symptoms and diseases which lend themselves to self medication therefore have to be defined. This has consequences for regulatory decisions (prescription vs non-prescription-drugs) and reimbursement of costs by health insurance systems, but also for the training of physicians, pharmacists, government agencies and drug industry. An important aspect of a qualitative improvement of self medication is the information, education and counseling of the patient. In this regard the pharmacist plays an important role in the self medication with non-prescription drugs.

Humans↗
PubMed2001

Benefits and risks of self medication.

Self medication is becoming an increasingly important area within healthcare. It moves patients towards greater independence in making decisions about management of minor illnesses, thereby promoting empowerment. Self medication also has advantages for healthcare systems as it facilitates better use of clinical skills, increases access to medication and may contribute to reducing prescribed drug costs associated with publicly funded health programmes. However, self medication is associated with risks such as misdiagnosis, use of excessive drug dosage, prolonged duration of use, drug interactions and polypharmacy. The latter may be particularly problematic in the elderly. Monitoring systems, a partnership between patients, physicians and pharmacists and the provision of education and information to all concerned on safe self medication, are proposed strategies for maximising benefit and minimising risk.

Drug Therapy↗
PubMed1996

Patients, society, and the increase in self medication.

Self medication with over the counter medicines has long been a feature of the lay health system. With the reclassification of certain drugs, the public can buy preparations that were previously available only prescription. Sales of over the counter medicines are now equivalent to a third of the NHS drugs bill; governments throughout the world see self medication as a way of shifting some of the cost of health care onto consumers. The trend towards increased self care and with it the increasing empowerment of patients has many potential benefits; collaboration between doctors and pharmacists will be critical.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗
PubMed1995

Self medication or self care: implication for primary health care strategies.

To determine the frequency of self-medication, a cross-sectional study was conducted in a Karachi district by selecting households through systematic random sampling. Health seeking behaviour for childhood illnesses and assessment of the magnitude and reasons for self-medication were done by interviewing mothers/caretakers. Five hundred households were visited, of which 158 fulfilled the criteria of having one sick child in the previous month. Medication without prescription was given to 51.3% children, mostly consisting of unidentified drugs or analgesics/antipyretics. Good past experience (61.3%) with the medicine was the main reason for self-medication. The use of medicines by health professionals was the main reason influencing parents for self-medication to their children. Self-medication is difficult to eliminate, but interventions can be made to discourage use of inappropriate and harmful drugs.

Child↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Pharmacovigilance of self-medication].

Self-medication can be defined as obtaining and consuming one (or more) drug (s) without the advice of a physician either for diagnosis, prescription or surveillance of the treatment. Self-medication accounts for around 5 to 10 per cent of drug sales in France. There are few data on side effects of self-medication in France. The side effects of drugs taken by self-medication and reported to the Midi-Pyrenees drugs surveillance centre between January 1993 and June 1996 were investigated in the present study. There were 65 reports, mainly in women (58 per cent), i.e. around 2 per cent of the reports to the regional drugs surveillance centre. The most frequent side effects are neurological (32 per cent: mainly headache, vertigo, agitation, etc.), dermatological (18 per cent, mainly allergy), hepatic (10 per cent), digestive (7 per cent, mainly diarrhoea). There were 10 cases of anaphylactic shock and/or Quincke oedema. The drugs most frequently involved were analgesics and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (47 cases), neuropsychotropic drugs (7 cases), dermatological drugs (6 cases) or otorhinolaryngological drugs (6 cases).... 'Serious' side effects occurred in 40 per cent of the cases including 3 deaths. 'Severe' side effects were observed in 77 per cent of the reports. This study shows that the side effects of self-medication are relatively frequent and can be serious. They occurred more often in women than in men, mainly with analgesic and anti-inflammatory drugs. These data permit a better analysis of the risk/benefit ratio of self-medication. Drug surveillance studies of self-medication must be developed.

Adverse Drug Reaction Reporting Systems↗
PubMed2005

[Knowledge, attitudes, and behaviour of the population of the Czech Republic to self-medication. III: behaviour in the area of drugs and self-medication].

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 behaviour of people in relation to packaging of OTC drugs and drug information sheets, expiration period of medicaments-advertisements for OTC drugs in the media, most frequently selected indications for self-medication, self-medication in small children, financial participation in self-medication and the resultant compliance or non-compliance, and the price of the OTC drug and dosage. The results show that 68% of respondents are able to take a medicine after its expiration period. An o-t-c drug would be bought just on the basis of television advertising by 7% of respondents, and more than a half of the respondents (57%) stated they would first consult their physician or pharmacist. In the case of a sudden ailment of a one-year-old child, 80% of respondents stated that they would contact the physician, 8% opted for self-medication. Under the assumption that an OTC drug is covered by health insurance, 27% of respondents would go to the physician, though they could buy it themselves.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

[Problems of self medication].

Self-medication is practised in 60 to 80% of the cases of distress, disturbed health or sickness. The advantages and disadvantages of self-medication are listed up and recommendations as regards the safe use of self-medication are given.

Humans↗
PubMed1978

Self-medication.

Self-medication and drug interaction have been a problem in recent years. Pharmacists in ethical pharmacies and neighborhood establishments can best monitor these problems through use of patient profile records and consultations. The pharmacist should advise the public on over-the-counter (OTC) purchases. Auxiliary labels are recommended for use on containers to prevent drug interactions. Members of the black community have some specific problems with respect to self medications. These are addressed in this article. Self-medication, under supervision, is proper and can be controlled.

Drug Interactions↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Use of analgesics in self-medication.

Self-medication with analgesics is common and accepted and even recommended by health systems in order to avoid reimbursement. Self-medication, nevertheless, is not an easy task, since making choices is difficult for patients on the basis of the available standard information. Guiding information for patients has to be improved, but also physicians need to be trained how to handle self-medication of their patients. Special attention should be paid to the approval of combination analgesics for the treatment of headache and migraine. There were two major points of discussion during the last decades: possible risks of nephropathy and possible drug-induced overuse. According to a very recent evaluation, analgesic-associated nephropathy appears to have been primarily caused by phenacetin rather than any other single or combination analgesics. Analgesic-induced overuse is also caused by the psychotropic actions of phenacetin in presentations providing rapid absorption, such as powders, rather than by other analgesics or caffeine.

Analgesics, Non-Narcotic↗
PubMed1997

Multicenter study on self-medication and self-prescription in six Latin American countries. Drug Utilization Research Group, Latin America.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the patterns of self-medication in Latin-American countries. METHODS: This cross-sectional drug utilization study took place at 242 pharmacies in 11 study areas in six countries. Unselected samples of customers were interviewed with a structured questionnaire after they had purchased a medicinal product without any medical prescription and without seeking or accepting the advice of the pharmacist or pharmacy counter assistant. RESULTS: We interviewed 8597 consumers. They had purchased 10,569 pharmaceutical products. Ten percent of the products were intended for family use, 14.1% were for children, 68.2% were for adults, and 7.9% were for elderly people. Thirty-nine percent of the products were fixed-dose combinations, and 19% contained three or more active ingredients. Analgesics (16.8%) were the leading group of drugs, followed by antibiotics (7.4%), antiinflammatory and antirheumatic products (5.9%), and vitamins (5.1%). Consumers interviewed purchased relatively high numbers of cardiovascular drugs (494, 5%) and drugs that act on the central nervous system (256, 2.4%). Only 34% of dispensed drugs had an approved over-the-counter status; less restrictive criteria suggest that 24% should have been dispensed on a medical prescription. CONCLUSIONS: The high proportion of fixed-dose combinations reflects poorly regulated pharmaceutical markets. The relatively high proportion of drugs dispensed without a medical prescription that nevertheless need medical follow-up is probably attributable to difficult access to medical care. The potential effectiveness of these treatments is therefore jeopardized by lack of medical follow-up. There is a need for implementation of a comprehensive pharmaceutical and health care policy in the participating countries.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2003

Monitoring self-medication.

Self-medication, using non-prescription drugs, is beneficial to patients, healthcare professionals, the pharmaceutical industry and governments. Although many non-prescription medications are effective, misuse and abuse of these products can arise. Monitoring of specific populations and products, in addition to data recording and educating and informing patients, may go some way towards promoting safe and effective self-medication.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗
PubMed1980

[Self treatment through self medication].

Self-treatment of minor ailments is widespread. A lot of people seek advice from nonmedical counsellors or consult a "doctor's book" before applying to a medical practitioner. In Switzerland home made and natural remedies are rather popular whereas the treatment with chemical products is often met with scepticism. The greatest risk involved in uncontrolled self-medication and self-treatment is the unscrupulous consumption of medicines which can lead to addiction. The danger of important diagnoses being delayed is less considerable. From the health economic point of view reasonable self-medication and self-treatment are desirable. An important item is thereby the use of harmless natural remedies.

Diagnosis↗
PubMed2003

Predictors of older adults' capacity for medication management in a self-medication program: a retrospective chart review.

UNLABELLED: The aim of this project was to identify variables that predicted older adults' ability to manage medications. METHODS: The study used a retrospective cohort design and was set in a self-medication program within a rehabilitation hospital. A random sample of charts from 301 participants in the self-medication program was reviewed. RESULTS: Logistic regression models accounted for 26.7% and 55.8% of the variance in the probability of making one or more self-medication errors during the initial and final weeks of the program, respectively. The importance of cognition in predicting medication management capacity was seen in bivariate and multivariate analyses and through a number of interactions with other predictors. Statistically significant predictors in one or both analyses included medication regimen complexity, Mini-Mental State Exam (MMSE) score, duration of institutionalization, depression, and interactions between (a) medication regimen complexity and MMSE score and (b) ability to cook and MMSE score. DISCUSSION: The direct effects of cognition and medication regimen complexity were important predictors of medication management capacity.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1995

Preferences for ethanol and diazepam in anxious individuals: an evaluation of the self-medication hypothesis.

The self-medication hypothesis of addictive disorders postulates that individuals with psychiatric symptoms use drugs to alleviate their symptoms. Although commonly cited to explain the etiology of substance abuse, self-medication has not been experimentally validated. This study evaluated one version of the self-medication hypothesis by formulating it into a testable hypothesis: are highly anxious volunteers more likely to self-administer anxiolytic drugs than non-anxious controls. Anxious (ANX, n = 22) and control (CTL, n = 23) subjects participated in two double-blind placebo-controlled experiments, one testing ethanol (0.8 g/kg) and the other testing diazepam (20 mg). Subjects sampled and then chose between ethanol and placebo in one experiment, and diazepam and placebo in the other. The main dependent measures were choice of drug over placebo and subjective responses to the drugs. Ethanol decreased self-reported anxiety in ANX subjects, but ANX subjects did not choose ethanol more often than CTL subjects. Diazepam did not measurably reduce anxiety, but ANX subjects nevertheless chose diazepam more often than did CTL subjects. Thus, there were some differences in drug responses between the ANX and CTL subjects, and the study provided limited support for the self-medication hypothesis. However, drug choice was not directly related to anxiolytic drug effects with either ethanol or diazepam. The procedure may be used to test other formulations of the self-medication hypothesis (e.g., examining other psychiatric risk factors).

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Drug-related admissions to a department of medical gastroenterology. The role of self-medicated and prescribed drugs.

Three hundred and twenty-eight consecutive patients admitted to a department of medical gastroenterology were evaluated in a high-intensity study of drug-related hospitalizations (DRH). The drug events considered were adverse drug reaction and dose-related therapeutic failures (DTF). With regards to the 'definite' and 'probable' drug events, DRHs accounted for 26 admissions (7.9%; 95% confidence interval (CI), 5.2-11.4%), and with the additional inclusion of 'possible' drug events DRHs accounted for 39 admissions (11.9%; CI, 8.6-15.9%). Of these, five and seven admissions, respectively, were caused by DTF. Patients admitted because of drug events took significantly more drugs than others. An evaluation of the circumstances of the 26 'definite' or 'probable' DRH showed none to be 'definitely avoidable', 6 to be 'possibly avoidable', and 20 to be 'not avoidable' by efforts from the prescribing physicians. Gastroduodenal lesions causally related to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) or aspirin use accounted for 17 of the definite, probable, or possible DRHs (44%). Only 1 of the 11 cases related to NSAID use was rated as possibly avoidable by efforts from the health service personnel. In 13 cases self-medication with aspirin played a substantial role in the DRH. Self-medication was largely characterized by poor indication, uncontrolled use, polypharmacy, treatment of epigastric pain with aspirin, and the patient's unawareness of potential adverse reactions. This suggests the need for intensified information to the public concerning the adverse effects of aspirin and NSAID.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Investigation on self-medication: from disease to performance].

UNLABELLED: Self-medication is widely practised and could be defined as taking drugs without the advice of a physician. The present survey documented self-medication users' profile and their drug-taking behaviour. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: prospective study by self-report questionnaire. PARTICIPANTS: 600 residents of the Meurthe et Moselle subdivision (eastern France), ranging in age from 15 to 85 years, including 288 males and 312 females. MEASURES: use and impressions of self-medication, based on the subjects' own experience. DATA ANALYSIS: questionnaires were coded and put on computer. The data were analysed and compared by chi-square and analysis of variance. Statistical significance was accepted at p < 0.05. RESULTS: 313 subjects (52.2 per cent) reported having used self-medication. The three main motives for this practice were: headache (46.9 per cent), nose, throat or respiratory tract diseases (22.1 per cent) and abdominal pain (7.3 per cent). Self-use of drugs usually involved left-over past prescribed treatment (76 per cent), or were bought without the advice of a pharmacist (28 per cent). The self-medication user tends to be a woman, ranging in age from 20 to 39 years, living in a marital relationship and resident in an urban zone. The behaviours leading to self-medication were studied. Five groups are described, probably associated with five different attitudes towards self-medication. One of them shows subjects who essentially use drugs not to treat a disease but to enhance their performance.

Adolescent↗