Restrictions on access to Over The Counter drugs – an obstacle or a chance for better treatment?

Abstract

The use of OTC drugs is very popular in Poland. However, not many people realise what dangers stem from the inappropriate use of those medications. One of the most prominent abuse of OTC drugs is improper dosage, which may cause negative side effects leading to the deterioration of the patient’s health. A potential solution to this problem is the imposition of restrictions on the availability of OTC drugs, which could raise the awareness of the buyers. The people surveyed have been grouped on the basis of gender, age, education and place of living. The results of the survey show which OTC drugs are most frequently bought, where those drugs are bought and what the most frequent reasons for taking painkillers are. Moreover, more detailed data (taking into account the gender, the age, the education and the place of living of the respondents) has been gathered in regard to reading the package leaflets of the drugs, combining drugs and understanding the hazards of doing so. The interviewees have also expressed their opinions on the use of the new substitutes for OTC drugs and the prospective selling restriction of OTC drugs proposed by the Ministry of Health. Thanks to the information obtained, a general idea of the level of Poles’ knowledge about over-the-counter drugs can be formed. The study has shown that: Ibuprom, APAP and Paracetamol are the most popular OTC drugs. Stemming from this tendency is the frequent overdose of one of the active substances paracetamol. As far as the selling restriction plan of the Ministry of Health is concerned, the negative attitude towards it results from the fear of not being able to get the medications quickly, all the while restraining the spread of the substitutes. Finally, the issue of recurring side effects remains the matter of not reading the package leaflets of the drugs before use.