OVER THE COUNTER MEDICATIONS-A REVIEW

Tito Luvanda, Jaidev Kumar* and Umesh

ABSTRACT

Health professionals are one who has potential role in preventing risks of self-medication. Because he is the one who work on three main therapeutic aspects of professionalism in his daily practice: Information, therapeutic advice and education. Pharmacists play a valuable role in identifying, solving and preventing drug-related problems for the purpose of achieving optimal patient outcomes and quality of life. Ambulatory based pharmacists have the opportunity and responsibility to foster safe, appropriate, effective and economical use of all medications, especially those therapies patients are self-selecting. Pharmacists should guide their customers to consult the physician before taking any medication by self. A community based cross-sectional study carried out at Sohiong area of Mawphlang Block, East Khasi Hills district, Meghalaya, India by Apurba Marak et al on self-medication practices. Our study found that most common source of information for self-medication was family members and friends (38.7%). Local chemists were the second most common source of information (29.3%). Shuvashis Saha et al conducted a cross-sectional study on evaluation of medicines dispensing pattern of private pharmacies in Rajshahi, Bangladesh on 75 randomly selected private pharmacies. The recommendation rate for antibiotics was highest for the quacks (26.48%) though the major amount of the antimicrobials (n = 3039, 65.83%) were dispensed on prescription. Anti-infectives were found to be the most recommended medicines in all groups. Macrolides, quinolones, metronidazoles and cephalosporins are most favourite drug of quacks, clients and pharmacists. Interestingly pharmacists and clients did not ask for any carbepenems at all but quacks and doctors did.

Keywords: Self, Medications, Pharmacists.