An Efficient Prediction Model for OTC Medicine Effect with the Package Inserts Information

Abstract

Abstract In Japan, general public those who are not medical experts usually buy OTC medicine at a pharmacy, depending on their illness condition. In this case, it is difficult for them to consider how much the OTC medicine is effective for their symptom. The components of OTC medicine have been used as ethical medicines for a long period of time. This is because the efficacy and safety of ethical medicine have been confirmed before being employed as OTC medicine. The information of those confirmed medicines is described in package inserts, which is aimed for medical professionals. Therefore, it is difficult for general public to understand what the package insert describes in terms of medical effects. In this study, from the information which appears in the package inserts of prescription medicines, a method for estimating the effect of OTC medicine is investigated. Also, a method of estimating the effects of medicines without directly compared data is proposed, only by using the information of package inserts of ethical medicines.