Over-the-counter (OTC) drugs taken as intended and according to medical advice are a safe form of disease control. In the public consciousness, they are regarded as harmless agents. Thus, there is a danger of insufficient knowledge about possible side effects, interactions with other drugs or the consequences of taking too high doses. The availability of OTC drugs and social acceptance of their use are sometimes the reason for their recreational use. This article describes the case of a female patient who presented to the emergency department with complaints such as significant weakness, deterioration of exercise tolerance, muscle weakness and dizziness. The subjective examination was deepened with a psychiatric history, which revealed a long-standing intoxication with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). In conjunction with the toxicological findings, the reported complaints were considered to be a consequence of NSAIDs abuse and recommendations for therapeutic treatment for addiction were made. The article also discusses recommendations in the field of increasing awareness and prevention of OTC drug abuse and the use of the preventive care system in this area. Med Pr Work Health Saf. 2024;75(6).
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http://dx.doi.org/10.13075/mp.5893.01574 | DOI Listing |
J Patient Saf
January 2025
Aurora Pharmacy, Depere, Wisconsin.
Objectives: Older adults' (ages ≥65) inappropriate over-the-counter medications (OTC) use is prevalent, comprising Drug-Age, Drug-Drug, Drug-Disease, and Drug-Label types. Given that pharmacies sell many OTCs, structurally redesigning pharmacy aisles for improving patient safety (Senior Safe) was conceived to mitigate older adult OTC misuse, using Stop Signs and Behind-the-Counter Signs for high-risk OTCs. This study determined whether Senior Safe reduced high-risk OTCs misuse, while secondarily evaluating misuse changes for all OTCs.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Prim Health Care
December 2024
Curtin Medical School, Faculty of Health Sciences, Curtin University, Perth, WA 6102, Australia.
Introduction Optimal use of the workforce in primary care is critical due to increasing complexity and demand resulting from multi-morbidity in ageing populations. Improving public access to medicines by making them available via a pharmacist without prescription can support self-care while ensuring oversight by a health professional. Aim The aim of this paper was to identify and explore key differences between New Zealand and Australia in medicines classified nationally for pharmacist-only non-prescription supply.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFZhongguo Zhong Yao Za Zhi
October 2024
Department of Cardiovascular Diseases, the First Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Chinese Medicine Zhengzhou 450000, China.
Chinese patent medicines play a crucial role in the treatment of chronic pulmonary heart disease(CPHD). Nowadays, there is still a lack of comprehensive control over clinical research evidence in this field. This study aims to summarize the clinical research on the treatment of CPHD with Chinese patent medicines using an evidence map, in order to understand the current status and deficiencies of evidence in this area.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEvidence mapping was performed to review the clinical trials and systematic reviews about the treatment of hyperlipidemia with Chinese patent medicines in recent ten years. A total of 387 clinical studies and 18 systematic reviews/Meta-analysis involving 45 Chinese patent medicines commonly used in the treatment of hyperlipidemia in recent ten years were retrieved from Chinese and English academic publication databases. The article information was extracted by reading the abstract and full text, and the evidence of publication trend, combined medication, intervention course, complications, and outcome indicators was sorted out.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFItal J Pediatr
December 2024
Department of pharmacy, College of medicine and health science, Wollo University, Dessie, Ethiopia.
Globally antibiotics are among the most commonly used drugs. Non-prescription use of antibiotics is a major factor for the emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance one of the top global public health and development threats. This systematic review and meta-analysis aim to assess non-prescription antibiotic use and predictors among children in Low and middle-income countries.
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