Counter Drugs Research Articles

Perceived Eye Health-Seeking Behaviour of Residents of Ido Local Government Area, Oyo State Nigeria

Eye disease is a common global health problem that affects both young and old people. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the utilisation of eye care services globally was 18% in 2014, while in Nigeria; the rate of utilisation was reported to be below 25% as against the set target of 90%. This study therefore was aimed at assessing the perceived eye health-seeking behaviour of the residents of Ido Local Government Area, Oyo State, Nigeria. The study adopted a quantitative cross-sectional method among 289 residents of three communities in the Ido Local Government area, Ibadan. A self-administered validated questionnaire was used for data collection. Analysis of data was done using descriptive statistics (frequency, means and standard deviation) and inferential statistics; chi-square test and correlation coefficient which was fixed at p<0.5 level of significance. The result revealed that less than half of the respondents 135 (46.7%) had eye screening in the past, 156 (54%) had eye problems in the past 82(52.6 %) visited hospitals to solve their eye problems and others were involved in self - medication, patronised traditional healers and use over the counter drugs. The chi-square test showed a statistically significant relationship between the age of the participants and their engagement in the eye screening test. In conclusion, less than half of the respondents had eye screening in the past, while a large proportion of those who had eye problems visited non-medical facilities to seek eye care services. This indicates inappropriate eye health-seeking behaviour of the majority of the respondents. In addition, their perceived health-seeking behaviour was influenced by their age. This study recommends that more public health education needs to be done to educate the community on appropriate personal eye care to ensure positive eye health-seeking behaviour.

Evaluation of knowledge, attitude and practices of second year MBBS students about over the counter drugs

Background: The utilization of over-the-counter (OTC) drugs among medical students during academic exams has raised concerns about health risks and potential implications. This cross-sectional study aimed to estimate the prevalence of OTC drug utilization among medical students. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using pre-validated questionnaire. The data obtained was tabulated, analysed and the results were calculated in percentages.150 students had participated in this study of which 100 were selected by simple random sampling. Results: The use of OTC drugs was common amongst undergraduate students. Majority of students (92%) who participated in the study had used OTC drugs at some point in their life. Commonly used OTCs were antacids (73%) and the most common indications for use of OTCs was cough and cold (92%). 87% of students preferred OTC drugs due to ease and convenience while 44% preferred OTC drugs due to lack of time to consult the doctor. Doctors (32.3%) followed by family and friends; textbook/journals were found to be the most common source of information on OTC drugs. Conclusions: A tendency to choose self-medication over doctor’s consultation by most of the undergraduate medical students was consistently seen in the present study. This unrestrained use of OTC drugs certainly possesses several health risks. Awareness should be created among undergraduate medical students to restrict the use of OTC drugs and efforts should be undertaken to increase the sale of drugs without prescription.

A case report of Steven Johnson’s Syndrome (SJS) /Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis(TEN) overlap caused by Nimesulide

Introduction: Stevens–Johnson Syndrome (SJS) and Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis (TEN) are rare, acute and life-threatening mucocutaneous diseases that are nearly always drug-related. Incidence of SJS and TEN is 0.05 to 2 persons per million populations per year. In India, Nimesulide is easily available as an over the counter drug (OTC), different cutaneous reactions associated with, Nimesulide including angioedema, maculo-papular rash, severe urticaria, pityriasis rosea and worsening of preexisting psoriasis. Patient concern (Case summary): A 17 years old female patient complained about fever and she was prescribed with Tab.Nimesulide twice daily by private practitioner. On the 3rd day of intake of oral Nimesulide, patient developed skin lesions over face, trunk, back and all four limbs. This reaction was diagnosed as Stevens–Johnson Syndrome (SJS) and Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis (TEN) overlap by Nimesulide based on clinical picture and drug history. Interventions: Tab. Nimesulide was stopped and patient was admitted in dermatology ward. Patient was treated with Inj.Hydrocortisone sodium succinate 100mg iv twice daily, Inj.Cefotaxime 1gm iv thrice a daily, Inj. Metronidazole 500mg once a day and Liquid Cyclosporine 50mg twice a day for 10days. Other treatments included Inj. Albumin 100ml i.v slowly for 3 days given. Patient recovered and was discharged after 10 days. Conclusion: We are presenting a case of SJS-TEN overlap caused by Nimesulide, which is commonly used as an over the counter drug (OTC). Our aims to minimize this type of serious ADR by making alert to physicians and other healthcare professionals, we can avoid hospital admissions because of ADR, reduce economic burden of the patients and health related quality of life of the patient can be improved.

Testing of acute and sub-acute toxicity profile of novel naproxen sodium nanoformulation in male and female mice

Nanodrugs offer promising alternatives to conventionally used over the counter drugs. Compared to its free form, therapeutic benefits, and gastric tissue safety of naproxen sodium nanoformulation (NpNF) were recently demonstrated. Essential regulatory safety data for this formulation are, however, not available. To address this, male and female BALB/c mice were subjected to acute and 14-day repeated-oral dose assessments. Our data indicate that NpNF was well tolerated up to 2000 mg/kg b.w. A 14-day subacute toxicity testing revealed that the oral administration of low dose (30 mg/kg) NpNF did not produce any adverse effects on blood profile and serum biochemical parameters. Levels of oxidative stress markers and antioxidant enzymes neared normal. Histology of selected tissues also showed no evidence of toxicity. In contrast, a ten-fold increase in NpNF dosage (300 mg/kg), demonstrated, irrespective of gender, mild to moderate toxicity (p < 0.05) in the brain, stomach, and heart tissues, while ROS, LPO, CAT, SOD, POD, and GSH levels remained unaffected in the liver, kidney, spleen, testis, and seminal vesicles. No effect on serum biochemical parameters, overall indicated a no-observed-adverse-effect level (NOAEL) is 300 mg/kg. Further increase in dosage (1000 mg/kg) significantly altered all parameters demonstrating that high dose is toxic.

Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice on Over-the-counter Drugs among Undergraduate Students of a Tertiary Care Teaching Hospital

INTRODUCTIONOver-the-counter drugs are those which are safe and effective for the general public to use, without consulting a health care professional. Self-medication with over-the-counter drugs is common among medicine and health science students. This study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice on over-the-counter drugs among undergraduate students of a tertiary care teaching hospital. MATERIAL AND METHODSA descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among first and second year undergraduate students from June 2023 to September 2023. Data was collected through self-administered questionnaire and was entered and analyzed in Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 16. Descriptive statistical analysis was carried out to find out knowledge, attitude and practice of over the counter drugs. RESULTSAmong 352 students, 272 (77.27%) had good knowledge (with mean knowledge score of 7.22±1.43 out of 9) on over the counter drugs. Almost all of the students 350 (99.43%) had a positive attitude toward over the counter drugs use, (with a mean attitude score of 27.55±2.70, out of 40). Only 195 (55.40%) students always read the instructions on the medicine’s label before use. Most commonly used over the counter drugs was antipyretics 264 (75%). CONCLUSIONMajority of the students had good knowledge and practice and positive attitude towards over the counter drugs use, however, there were few inappropriate practices. Awareness on proper use of over the counter drugs among students is necessary in medical institutions to prevent the misuse of these drugs.

Effect modification of polypharmacy on incident frailty by chronic kidney disease in older adults

BackgroundFrailty and polypharmacy are common conditions in older adults, especially in those with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Therefore, we analyzed the association of polypharmacy and incident frailty and the effect modification by CKD in very old adults.MethodsIn non-frail individuals within the Berlin Initiative (cohort) Study, polypharmacy (≥ 5 medications) was assessed according to multiple definitions based on the number of regular and on demand prescription and over the counter drugs, as well as vitamins and supplements. CKD was defined as an estimated glomerular filtration rate < 60 mL/min/1.73m2 and/or an albumin-creatinine ratio ≥ 30 mg/g. Incident frailty was assessed at follow-up using Fried criteria. Logistic regression was applied to assess (1) the association of different polypharmacy definitions with incident frailty and (2) effect modification by CKD.ResultsIn this cohort study, out of 757 non-frail participants (mean age 82.9 years, 52% female, 74% CKD), 298 (39%) participants reported polypharmacy. Over the observation period of 2.1 years, 105 became frail. Individuals with polypharmacy had 1.96 adjusted odds (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.20–3.19) of becoming frail compared to participants without polypharmacy. The effect of polypharmacy on incident frailty was modified by CKD on the additive scale (relative excess risk due to interaction: 1.56; 95% CI 0.01–3.12).ConclusionsThis study demonstrates an association of polypharmacy and incident frailty and suggests strong evidence for an effect modification of CKD on polypharmacy and incident frailty. Revision of prescriptions could be a target strategy to prevent frailty occurrence, especially in older adults with CKD.

Estimating the Prevalence of Self-Medication Practices among a Representative Population of Medical Students.

In the domain of healthcare delivery, self medication (SM) is a widely prevalent form of health seeking behavior. The current study has been planned with the objectives to estimate the prevalence of SM practices among medical students, and to assess the knowledge pertaining to SM among the study population. A cross sectional descriptive study will be conducted among a representative population of medical students in a rural medical college for a period of two months among 205 students. The data collection tool will be a pilot tested semi-structured questionnaire and will be used after obtaining written informed consent. The statistical analysis will be done using SPSS version 16. Results will be presented using descriptive (frequency, percentages, mean, and standard deviation) and inferential (chi-square test) statistics. Considering the rising and alarming trends of antimicrobial resistance, it is our duty that we estimate the prevalence of SM among medical students and accordingly create awareness about not encouraging indiscriminate use of over the counter drugs.

A Comparison of the Protective Effect of Pyridoxine and N-Acetylcysteine in Paracetamol Induced Hepatotoxicity in Rats

Paracetamol is a common over the counter drug. Paracetamol-induced hepatotoxicity results in over 300,000 hospitalizations each year and accounts for up to 42% of all cases of acute liver failure. N-acetylcysteine (NAC) is a potential antidote to manage paracetamol toxicity. Objective: To investigate the effects of pyridoxine, alone and in combination with NAC in repairing paracetamol-induced liver damage in male Wister rats. Methods: A single oral dose of paracetamol (650 mg/kg) was administered to Wistar rats to induce hepatotoxicity. The hepato-protective effects of NAC at a dose 300 mg/kg, and pyridoxine (200 mg/kg) were evaluated using standard liver function tests and histopathological along with serum glutathione levels. Results: The administration of pyridoxine and NAC resulted in a significant decrease in AST, ALT, and total bilirubin levels and the reversal of histopathological changes. Conversely, administering NAC and pyridoxine in combination yielded significant changes except for the glutathione level. Conclusions: The study concluded that pyridoxine may be used as a potential hepatoprotective drug in paracetamol-induced hepatotoxicity. In combination with NAC, it showed protective effects in paracetamol-induced hepatoxicity.

Effect of Coaching Program on Mothers’ Awareness regarding Administration of Over the Counter Drugs to their Children

Effect of Coaching Program on Mothers’ Awareness regarding Administration of Over the Counter Drugs to their Children

Real-world Data and Evidence to support a switch in status from Prescription drug to Over the Counter drug as applied by the EMA, the US FDA, the MHRA, and the BfArM

PurposeWe studied under which circumstances and to what extent Real-World Data (RWD) and Real-World Evidence (RWE) were used in regulatory decisions when switching products from Prescription-only (Rx) to Over-the-Counter (OTC) status with the aim of extracting learnings that could be applied in future switches. MethodsSanofi commissioned Clarivate Analytics to identify switches from Rx to OTC in the European Union (centrally by the European Medicines Agency [EMA] and in Germany by the Bundesinstitut für Arzneimittel und Medizinprodukte [BfArM]), in the United States by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and in the United Kingdom by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) as far back as data were available in the public domain, mainly Health Authority webpages. They covered the period from and including 2022 and went as far back as they could find data in their proprietary database or in the public domain; for the EMA back to 2008, the US FDA back to 2001, the UK MHRA back to 1991, and the German BfArM for the period 2013–2022. We also asked Clarivate to investigate the nature of acceptance of RWD and RWE, and to what extent they are accepted by the different regulators in their decision-making and approval processes. FindingsWe found that the number of drugs available in the OTC segment is higher in regulatory jurisdictions where OTC policies are clear and supplemented by guidelines and transparent decision-making processes at the regulator level. A wide range of different data sources, many of which can be regarded as RWD/RWE in their broadest definitions, have been used to support switches. The data required by regulators to support a switch from Rx-only to OTC availability primarily centers on drug safety—both the drug's intrinsic safety and the safety associated with consumer usage. ImplicationsClear and transparent regulatory switch frameworks are conducive to growing the number of medicines available to consumers willing to self-manage their conditions. Transparent disclosure of the RWD and RWE data sets that regulators have found acceptable in historic switch applications is desirable because it would help sponsors to facilitate and increase prospective switches, thereby benefiting patients and society.

Effect of COVID-19 Pandemic on Over the Counter Drugs use and its Associated Factors among Adults of an Urban Slum in Hyderabad: A Cross Sectional Study

Background: Over the counter (OTC) drugs are the drugs that are legally allowed to be sold ‘Over the counter’,i.e., without the prescription of a registered medical practitioner. Self-medication represents a global healthcareepidemic.Objectives: To assess the usage of OTC medication among study subjects. To determine the factors associated withuse of OTC medication.Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among adults of urban field practice area attachedto department of community medicine, Mamata Academy of Medical Sciences, Hyderabad during the months ofJuly and August 2022. Adults aged 18 years and above, who were willing to participate were interviewed. Simplerandom technique was used for sampling. Data was entered in Microsoft excel and analysed in SPSS version 20.Results: It was found that there was significant increase in the use of OTC drugs from the COVID-19 pandemicas compared to before. Major source of OTC drugs was found to be Medical shops. Most common symptomsfor which self medication was taken were fever and body pains. The most common reason for opting OTC wasmentioned as convenience. Statistically significant association was found between Social class and OTC drugusage (p value 0.001, X2=11.456, OR=7.4) and also between education status of the OTC drug users and checkingexpiry date and reading label (p value 0.000).Conclusion: OTC drugs usage among the study subjects was increased from the COVID-19 pandemic as comparedto before and risky behaviour was found in around half of the subjects.

Health Seeking Behavior and Self-Medication Practice among Undergraduate Medical Students in a Selected Private Medical College in Bangladesh

There is a need to have a formal health program for the medical students, set guidelines for students to follow if they fall ill and provision of rational medication. Students need to be made aware of the dangers of self-treatment and investigation. This cross-sectional study was conducted among the undergraduate medical students of US Bangla Medical College (USBMC), Narayangonj from July to December 2022. The study aims to assess the health seeking behavior and self-medication among the students. Data were collected by interviewing students using a pre-designed questionnaire and twenty Likert items were prepared for data collection. Data were analyzed by using SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences) version 25. Total 293 students were interviewed, among them male - female ratio was 1.23:1 and the age range of the participants was 17 to 28 years. Most of the (70%) students were belonged to upper-middle class family; where 21% from upper class, 8% from lower middle class, and only 1% from the working class family. Regarding the father's educational status of the students more than two-third (69%) of their fathers completed university degree, 29% completed higher secondary or secondary level of education and few (2%) had informal education. Most of the students (81%) used to take medicine without prescription/ self medication. Among the students around one-fourth of them used to take both paracetamol (26%) and painkiller (24%) as self-medication; where 13% of the students used to take antibiotic. Regarding the opinion of the well established definition of ‘Health’ that is “Health includes physical, mental and social well-being and not just absence of disease/ infirmity” most of the students (90%) gave positive statement (agree 58% and strongly agree 32%); where 5% of them were neutral and rest 5% were disagreed. Nearly two-third (65%) of the students expressed their opinion positively (agree 49% and strongly agree 16%) on “seek help immediately when they develop some physical symptoms” that is they seek immediate help for their illness; where 14% of them were neutral and rest 21% were disagreed. More than one-third (35%) of the students stated the reason for self-medication related to their too busy schedule to visit physician and 21% stated that the illness was too minor for consultation; other reasons were knowledge about the drug and illness, follow old prescription, over the counter drugs etc. Almost one-third (30%) of the students opined positively that public health care facilities provide standard health care, but more than one-third (36%) did not comment and rest one-third (34%) differed on it. Remarkably used self-medicated drugs were paracetamol (26%), painkiller (24%), 13% and others NSAIDs/ Analgesics, Antacid/ PPI, Vitamins, antitussive, antihistamines. The statistical test revealed that there is a strong relationship of their opinion on attention to mental physical well-being for healthy lively-hood between coping ability, seek the best care from college hospital and seek help for sensitive matters other than own college hospital (at 5% level of significance). To ensure better health seeking behavior and good practice knowledge of medical students was not absolutely satisfactory. Awareness regarding demerits of self-medication like antibiotics resistance and side effect of drugs would be build among the students. This study would facilitate for increase of medical knowledge and promotion of higher health-seeking behavior. Bangladesh Med J. 2022 Sept; 51(3): 37-42

Pharmacological Review of Drug Interactions

Drug interaction (DI) occurs when the effects of one drug are altered by the presence of another drug, herbal medicine, foods, drink or by some environmental or chemical agents”. Any time a drug is administered with another prescription or over the counter drug, herb or food item, there is the risk of interactions which may be potentially dangerous. Drug-drug interaction increases with the number of drugs used concomitantly. The drug whose activity is effected by such interaction is referred to as the “Object drug” while the agent that eventually precipitates such an interaction is referred to as the “Precipitant / Perpetrator drug”. It is worthy of note that drug interactions may cause drugs to be less effective, may induce unexpected side effects or rarely even increase the action of a particular drug. Many drug interactions have been found to be harmful. Approximately 3– 26% of adverse reactions related to hospital admissions are due to drug-drug interactions while, global prevalence of potentially inappropriate prescribing ranges from 13–35%. Up to 11.1% of patients actually experience drug interactions symptoms. An appraisal of drug interactions will help update our knowledge on the possible etiologies, mechanisms of action, adverse effects, clinical effects and desired advancements in therapies for drug interactions as well ways of managing same. Secondly, the systematic knowledge of drug interaction, especially at the level of absorption, elimination, transport and drug metabolism (pharmacokinetic profiles / variables) may help to prevent adverse effects. Predicting pharmacodynamic interactions often demands a deeper understanding of the mechanisms of effect even as Electronic prescribing systems have been found to be helpful in recent times. Also the rising cases of drug interactions in tropical and other regions of the world coupled with scarcity of literature in the subject area under study mandates the necessity for this write up, hence we write. Sources of literature were from PubMed, Science Direct, Scopus and Google Scholar etcetera. The knowledge of drug interaction at level of absorption, elimination, transport and drug metabolism may help prevent adverse effects. Predicting pharmacodynamic interactions often demands a deeper understanding of the mechanisms of action even as electronic prescribing systems may be helpful.

Libyan community pharmacists' knowledge, attitude, and practice concerning non-prescription dispensing of antibiotics

Antibiotics are prescription only medications, but their dispensing as over the counter drugs constitutes one of the main causes of antibiotic resistance. Antibiotic resistance threatens the life of people around the world, as indicated by world and Health Organization. Therefore, a global effort and collaboration are required to decrease and control the development and spread of antibiotic resistance. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the knowledge, attitude, and practice of community pharmacists regarding dispensing of antibiotics without prescription (DAWP) in Libya. Self- administered questionnaire has been created with a cross sectional design and statistical package for social sciences(SPSS) version 27.0 was used for descriptive statistics analysis. The vast majority of respondents were female (82.2%) and (79.4%) of respondents were less than 30 years old. About 43% of community pharmacists reported that they dispense antibiotics without prescription. Feeling competent to dispense antibiotics as over the counter drug was the most common reason for antibiotic dispensing without prescription. Amoxicillin, Azithromycin and Metronidazole were the most commonly dispensed antibiotics without a prescription respectively. In summary, dispensing antibiotics without a prescription is widespread in Libya, especially When patient asks for a particular antibiotic.

Libyan community pharmacists' knowledge, attitude, and practice concerning non-prescription dispensing of antibiotics

Antibiotics are prescription only medications, but their dispensing as over the counter drugs constitutes one of the main causes of antibiotic resistance. Antibiotic resistance threatens the life of people around the world, as indicated by world and Health Organization. Therefore, a global effort and collaboration are required to decrease and control the development and spread of antibiotic resistance. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the knowledge, attitude, and practice of community pharmacists regarding dispensing of antibiotics without prescription (DAWP) in Libya. Self- administered questionnaire has been created with a cross sectional design and statistical package for social sciences(SPSS) version 27.0 was used for descriptive statistics analysis. The vast majority of respondents were female (82.2%) and (79.4%) of respondents were less than 30 years old. About 43% of community pharmacists reported that they dispense antibiotics without prescription. Feeling competent to dispense antibiotics as over the counter drug was the most common reason for antibiotic dispensing without prescription. Amoxicillin, Azithromycin and Metronidazole were the most commonly dispensed antibiotics without a prescription respectively. In summary, dispensing antibiotics without a prescription is widespread in Libya, especiallyWhen patient asks for a particular antibiotic.

Synthetic colorants: Analysis in pediatric over the counter drugs OTCs by HPLC and exposure risk to children

Synthetic colorants: Analysis in pediatric over the counter drugs OTCs by HPLC and exposure risk to children

Clinical profile of medication-related emergencies among patients presenting to the emergency department: An observational study

Objective: To determine the clinical profile of patients presenting with medication-related emergencies to the Emergency Department of our institute. Methods: This was an observational study conducted between November 2018 and September 2020 at Bangalore Baptist Hospital, Karnataka. A total of 138 subjects who satisfied the inclusion criteria were included in the study. The severity of adverse drug reactions (ADR) is assessed based on the Hurwitz severity assessment scale of ADR. Glasgow coma scale at the time of presentation and source of medication were noted. The type of drug overdose, requirement of advanced airway and vasopressors, and the outcome were also assessed. Results: Among medication-related emergencies (n=138) in our study, ADR contributed to 70.3% (n=97) of the study population, and drug overdose accounted for 29.7% (n=41). One-third of the ADR occurred in patients aged above 60 years. Most patients were hemodynamically stable and did not require vasopressors, or advanced airway in both groups. Most patients had Glasgow coma scale ranging from 13-15 in both groups. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs were the most used medicine (17/41, 41.5%) and most medications were over the counter drugs (25/41, 61.0%) in the drug overdose group; meanwhile in the ADR group, anti-diabetic medication was the most used medicine (34/97, 35.1%) and most medications were prescribed in the ADR group (93/97, 95.9%). Conclusions: Our study shows that ADR is the most common type of medication-related emergency.

PENYULUHAN PENGGUNAAN OBAT OVER THE COUNTER (OTC) DI KELURAHAN NGAMPEL KOTA KEDIRI

Self-medication is a medication process based on complaints or symptoms up to the drug selection stage by themselves. Percentage of self-medication behavior in Kediri City increases every year so information about self-medication is needed. The class of drugs that can be used for self-medication are over the counter (OTC) drugs which are a class of over-the-counter drugs and limited over-the-counter drugs. These drugs can be purchased without a doctor's prescription, safe and effective if used according to the instructions for use. This activity aims to change the mindset and perspective of the community to be able to respond appropriately to how to use drugs by themselves. Community service activities in the form of counseling using the lecture method combined with a question and answer session, completed the pretest and posttest questionnaires, and last session is the distribution of leaflets regarding the use of OTC drugs. The target of the activity is the community in the Ngampel Village, Kediri City. There was an increase in knowledge about the use of OTC drugs in the community in Ngampel Village, Kediri City after being given counseling. We hope that after participating in counseling, people's knowledge will increase in using OTC drugs properly.

A Review on Prevalence, economic and Safety about over the counter drugs (OTC)

This review article focuses on two main topics: the use and impact of over-the-counter (OTC) medications, and the management of osteoarthritis (OA). For OTC medications, the article highlights their increasing prevalence and economic significance from 2020 to 2023. The prevalence of OTC medication usage rose significantly from 37.7% in 2020 to 85.4% in 2023, with a similar upward trend in economic impact, reaching 79.6% in 2023. The safety of these medications is compared with other agents, particularly multivitamins, which are deemed safer and more effective. The article examines a variety of OTC medications including those for colds, allergies, digestive issues, pain, and more, concluding that in 2023, OTC medications are not only more commonly used but also carry significant economic weight. It critically reviews various treatment options, advocating for a multidisciplinary and multimodal approach. This includes patient education, pharmaceuticals, alternative medicine, surgery, and physical therapy, among others. The article emphasizes the importance of early diagnosis, prevention, and a tailored treatment plan. It advocates for healthcare professionals to have a comprehensive understanding of OA management, stressing the importance of combining different therapies for optimal patient outcomes.

A Study to Assess the Knowledge and Practice regarding OTC drugs among BSc. Nursing students

Self medication with over the counter (OTC) drugs is common among medicine and nursing students. Despite all their benefits, improper use of medicines can bring potential health hazards and evidence continue to mount that adverse reaction to medicines are common and yet often preventable1. Over the counter drugs means drugs which are allowed to be sold by pharmacists without need for a prescription. The term does not have a legal definition in India2. Objectives: 1. To assess the level of knowledge of B.Sc Nursing students regarding OTC drugs, 2. To assess the practice of B.Sc Nursing students regarding OTC drugs, 3. To determine the association of knowledge of B.Sc Nursing students with the demographic variables, 4. To determine the association of practice among B.Sc Nursing students with the demographic variables. 5. To determine the correlation between knowledge and practice of B.Sc Nursing students regarding OTC drugs. Methods: Descriptive research design and purposive sampling technique was used for the study. 60 B.Sc Nursing students were selected from NS Memorial College of Nursing, Kollam. Result: Analysis of knowledge of B.Sc(N) students regarding OTC drugs shows that 15% had inadequate knowledge, 48.3% had moderate knowledge and 36.7% had adequate knowledge level. Analysis of the practice of 60 B.Sc(N) students regarding OTC drugs shows that 88.5% had bad practice and 11.5% had good practice level.