Pharmaceutical interventions in self-medication: A descriptive study in community pharmacies

Area of Science:

• Pharmacy Practice
• Drug Safety
• Public Health

Background:

• Self-medication is a common practice globally.
• Pharmaceutical interventions (PIs) are crucial for ensuring safe and effective medication use.
• Understanding patterns in self-medication PIs is vital for optimizing community pharmacy services.

Purpose of the Study:

• To characterize self-medication pharmaceutical interventions (PIs) conducted between 2017 and 2025.
• To identify common reasons for PIs and frequently involved medications.
• To analyze pharmacist recommendations and patient acceptance rates in self-medication scenarios.

Main Methods:

• A descriptive study was conducted in 201 community pharmacies.
• Data were collected using the GIPAMED notification grid.
• Analysis included 3366 PIs related to self-medication.

Main Results:

• Pain was the primary reason for drug requests in nearly one-third of cases.
• Commonly involved molecules included ibuprofen, paracetamol, and oxomemazine.
• Key reasons for PIs were regulatory non-compliance, contraindications, and the need for medical consultation.

Conclusions:

• Characterization of PIs provides a basis for identifying common issues in non-prescription drug dispensing.
• Data highlights areas needing vigilance in community pharmacy practice.
• The developed PI database contributes significantly to primary care and community pharmacy research.