OTC drugs and pain self‑treatment

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Piotr Ratajczak, Krzysztof Kus, Magdalena Pluskota, Dorota Koligat, Tomasz Zaprutko, Elżbieta Nowakowska

3 (44) 2015 s. 147–153
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Fraza do cytowania: Ratajczak P., Kus K., Pluskota M., Koligat D., Zaprutko T., Nowakowska E. OTC drugs and pain self‑treatment. Polski Przegląd Nauk o Zdrowiu. 2015;3(44):147–153.

Introduction. Pain is subjective, unpleasant, negative, sensual or emotional feeling which often influences the patient’s quality of life. A person feeling pain in the first place reaches for medicinal products of the OTC), the sale and the application takes place in an uncontrolled manner. Aim. The aim of this study was to determine the state of patient’s awareness of possible interactions and side effects of used OTC drugs during the pain self‑treatment. Material and methods. The main research tool in the study was an anonymous voluntary survey. The questionnaire contained questions of both single and multiple‑choice related to the subject of pain and OTC drugs. Results. Our studies have shown that pain medications are taken more often by women and that the most common medications are the OTC drugs (paracetamol and nonsteroidal anti‑inflammatory drugs). Most of the patients consult the doctor before taking the medication. In addition, most respondents admit reading the package leaflet and they are aware of possible interactions between the food and the taken drug. Nevertheless, more than half of patients over 40 years old observes side effects after OTC therapy. Also patients do not link this sides effects with diet. Conclusions. Pharmacotherapy of pain is a complex process which refers not only to the selection of an appropriate medication but also of an adequate diet. For this reason it is of importance to pay attention to effective patient’s education in the field of food‑drug interaction, including alcohol‑drug interactions, which should be guided by both general practitioners and nutritionists.

Key words: over‑the‑counter drugs, OTC, pain, self‑treatment.



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