Abstract
People need reliable information regarding over-the-counter medications (OTCs), so that they can independently make appropriate informed choices. The study aimed to identify the information providers and channels that have an impact on the purchase of OTCs, and to demonstrate the information needs of OTC purchasers, using these providers and channels, from the viewpoint of information characteristics such as specialty, objectivity, concreteness, comprehensiveness, individuality, and availability, focusing on the efficacy of OTCs and related safety information. A questionnaire survey of randomly sampled adults aged ≥20 was conducted at the Japan Drugstore Show 2012, hosted by the Japan Association of Chain Drug Stores. In this questionnaire, information was particularly limited to the efficacy and safety of OTCs. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed on data from 1743 respondents (1625 purchasers and 118 non-purchasers of OTCs) who obtained information on OTCs in their daily lives, to demonstrate the associations between the use of information providers and channels (predictor variables) and the purchase of OTCs (outcome variable), as well as between information characteristics valued by purchasers (predictor variables) and their use of these information providers or channels (outcome variables). Both the use of pharmacists as information providers and consultation at pharmacies as an information channel were positively associated with the purchase of OTCs (odds ratio [OR], 3.74; 95 % confidence interval [CI], 2.46–5.68; P < 0.001 and OR, 4.55; 95 % CI 2.92–7.11, P < 0.001, respectively), whereas both the use of family or friends using OTCs as information providers and family or friends as information channels were negatively associated with the purchase of OTCs (OR, 0.60; 95 % CI 0.40–0.90; P = 0.014 and OR, 0.55; 95 % CI 0.36–0.82; P = 0.004, respectively). OTC purchasers who valued individuality of information were more likely to use pharmacists (OR 2.00; 95 % CI 1.61–2.48; P < 0.001) and consultation at pharmacies (OR 1.98; 95 % CI 1.61–2.43; P < .001). In conclusion, individualized information provided by pharmacists on the efficacy and safety of OTCs during consultation at pharmacies can play the most important role in the informed choices of OTC purchasers.
Highlights
Self‐medication in Japan During the 20th century, along with socioeconomic development, lifestyle related diseases became the majorHayashi et al SpringerPlus (2015) 4:737 structure such as increase of adult diseases by progression of aging, repercussion of informed consent and pursuit of quality of life (QOL), more Japanese have become conscious of their health and medical care (MHLW 2007)
The use of pharmacists as information providers was positively associated with the purchase of over-the-counter medications (OTCs), while the use of family or friends using OTCs was negatively associated with OTC purchase
The current study focused on the step at which consumers chose and purchased specific OTCs based on certain information, seeking to address the following questions: (1) Did pharmacists as information providers and consultation at pharmacies as an information channel influence consumers’ choices regarding the purchase of specific OTCs? (2) What about other information providers and channels? (3) What information characteristics did consumers expect from their information providers and channels with regard to OTCs? The study identified information providers and channels that had an impact on the purchase of OTCs by Japanese consumers; one of the distinctive features of this study was that it investigated information sources by dividing them into information providers and channels
Summary
Hayashi et al SpringerPlus (2015) 4:737 structure such as increase of adult diseases by progression of aging, repercussion of informed consent and pursuit of quality of life (QOL), more Japanese have become conscious of their health and medical care (MHLW 2007). Among various self-medication options, the use of OTCs is the most prevalent (Aoyama et al 2012). In Japan, OTCs are classified into four categories, according to their risk levels: OTCs requiring guidance (post-marketing safety evaluation is incomplete), first-class OTCs (especially high risk), second-class OTCs (relatively high risk), and third-class OTCs (others). Recent market trends for OTCs in Japan have proven sluggish. The market for switch-OTCs in Japan, which had been 137.5 billion yen in 2005, reached
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