Knowledge of Patients about the OTC Preparation as the Result of Pharmacist –⁠ PatientConsultations

Overview

Knowledge of patients about oral single-component OTC preparations containing ibuprofen, boughtfor their own use,was evaluated in relation to the manner of the process of communication betweenthe pharmacist (laboratory assistant) –⁠ patient during the supply at the pharmacy. The answers ofrespondents were processed separately for the group of those who bought the preparation for thefirst time and those who had already used it for self-medication. The knowledge of contraindicationsand undesirable effects (judged separately) was found to be higher than 50 % in both groups ofrespondents. Nevertheless, the patients who use the preparation repeatedly state simultaneousignorance of undesirable effects and contraindications only in 32.2 %, in contrast to the new users(60.0 %). The patients who know neither contraindications nor undesirable effects of the preparationwhich they buy nevertheless think that they have enough information so that their self-medicationcan be safe (88.9 % of patients using the preparation repeatedly and 80.0 % of new users).Approximately a quarter of respondents in both groups under evaluation state that during thesupply in the pharmacy they were not given any piece of information. Patients are passive whenbuying an OTC preparation and nearly 40 % of them do not use the opportunity to ask for pertinentinformation themselves. Nearly 85 % of respondents from both groups consider information gainedfrom the pharmacy to be sufficient. When supplying an OTC preparation, in 45 % of casespharmacists (laboratory assistants) do not inquire whether the patient have already used thepreparation, or whether he or she knows anything about it. The standard of counselling onself-medication in the Czech Republic should thus become more effective.

Key words:
self-medication –⁠ OTC –⁠ ibuprofen –⁠ knowledge of patients –⁠ counselling