[A study on anti-infective agent self-medication in 2 pharmacy offices]

To describe and analyse the demand for unprescribed drugs against infections in two pharmacy departments, as a first step towards constructing closer cooperation between primary care physicians, chemists from the pharmacy service and chemists from a pharmacy department.

A descriptive and prospective study based on observation. SITE. This study was carried out at two pharmacy departments: the Embajadores Health Centre and the pharmacy service of the hospital to which patients were referred from Embajadores.

The target population were all those patients who requested a drug to combat infection in the pharmacy departments during the six months of the study (July to December, 1991).

A total of 186 requests without a prescription for drugs to combat infection was recorded. The profile of those so requesting was of an almost equal number for men and women between 31 and 50 years old. The main reasons behind the requests were throat, dental and urinary-genital infections. The consumption of drug per category of illness was, from greater to lesser, penicillin, sulfamides, urinary chemotherapies, tetracyclines, macrolides and cephalosporins.

Although there appears to be consistency between the drug infection requested and the reason for requesting it, some health education activities aimed at the general population need to be organised, in order to raise awareness of the use and abuse of antibiotics.