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Abstract
Objective: The aim of this research is to identify risk factors for incautious use of oral non-prescription drugs (ONPD) and inform recommendations that promote cautious ONPD use among HEI students in the UAE.Methods: A cross-sectional survey-based study was conducted with 2875 students in three randomly selected UAE universities between January and April 2014.Results: More than half (1348; 57%) of participants reported using of ONPD in the past 90 days before study commencement. Of 1348 participants reported using ONPD, one-quarter (1348; 22.2%) of ONPD was classified as incautious ONPD usage. Analgesic/antipyretic (84.9%), non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) (1028; 76.3%), and cough and cold drugs (562; 41.7%) were reported by the majority of participants as the most commonly used ONPD. 10 risk factors were identified for incautious ONPD use. Participants with age group of 21 years and older (OR=0.554, 95%; CI=0.373-0.823; p<0.001), female (OR=0.339, 95%; CI=0.236-0.486; p<0.001), and students from medical schools (OR=0.619, 95%; CI=0.435-0.882; p=0.008) had lower odds of being incautious users compared to lower age group, males, and students from non-medical schools. Furthermore, participants with a polypharmacy behavior had higher odds of being irresponsible ONPD user than monopharmacy users (OR=1.400, 95%; CI=1.030- 1.02; p<0.001).Conclusion: One of five students is an incautious ONPD user. There is a need for an educational and behavioral intervention to motivate students to be cautious users.
Highlights
A patient package insert or drug information leaflet contains information for consumer about how to use their drugs safely and effectively, and it is part of the FDA-approved drug fact labeling [1]
In the USA, Ellen and other researchers [4,5] studied 295 undergraduate university students and found that, over the counter drugs (OTC), drugs overdose is largely unintentional because the consumer is not reading and understanding the informational drug leaflet
The present study aims at measuring the prevalence of oral non-prescription drugs (ONPD) use, assessing the incautious use, and identifying risk factors associated with incautious ONPD use among university students in UAE
Summary
A patient package insert or drug information leaflet contains information for consumer about how to use their drugs safely and effectively, and it is part of the FDA-approved drug fact labeling [1]. For safe and effective use of non-prescription drugs, it is important to read and understand the non-prescription drugs informational insert leaflet/ label [2,3]. A regional study aimed at analyzing responsible self-medication practice with non-prescription drugs, Bolañosinter viewed 5251 of nonprescription drugs consumers, aged 18 years and older, in pharmacies across eight different countries in Latin America comprising of Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, and Vnezuela [2]. The researcher concluded that the consumers are responsible and cautious users if they read the drug label before use for the first time. To differentiate between different terms that describe the categories of ONPD users, the present study is operationally defined cautious ONPD user as a user who reads the ONPD information leaflet before using the ONPD for the first time
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