Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 6, 2026

High-throughput and Comprehensive Drug Surveillance Using Multisegment Injection-Capillary Electrophoresis-Mass Spectrometry
Published on: April 23, 2019
Self-medication profile of ENT patients
Aim:
To describe self-medication habits of patients with otorhinolaryngological disorders to characterize problematic aspects in order to manage and correct them.
Study Design:
Descriptive.
Material And Methods:
A multiple-choice questionnaire was used to obtain the data, consisting of 17 questions about self-medication habits. It was distributed to the patients assisted in our ENT clinic, in July/2003.
Results:
Approximately 83% of the admitted patients have practiced self-medication (without medical prescription). However, 73% of them stated that it wasn't mandatory to present a prescription in order to obtain the medicine. The most utilized drugs were: analgesics/antipyretics (90%), cold and flu drugs (78%), and NSAIDs (69%); antibiotics were the 8th (11%). Among the reasons or diseases patients believed to suffer from that justified the self-medication practice, we observed: headaches (76%), cold/flu (74%) and nonspecific febrile illnesses (56%); otitis, in general, was the last (12%).
Conclusions:
This study demonstrates the need for continuous educational programs about the risks of self-medication, besides appropriate governmental regulation and inspection.
Related Concept Videos
Drug Delivery: Enteral Route
Drugs in...
Routes of Drug Administration: Enteral
Enteral administration involves drug administration via the mouth in two ways: orally or sublingually.
Unlike sublingually drugs, drugs that are taken orally pass through the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and get metabolized by the liver. Once metabolized, the drug is absorbed into the systemic circulation, reaching different body parts via the bloodstream. However, while passing through the stomach,...
Nonlinear Pharmacokinetics: Dependence of Elimination Half-Life and Dose Clearance
A study on guinea pigs examined the...
Drug Dependence
Dosage Regimen: Individualization
Modified-Release Drug Delivery Systems: Overview
