[Treatment of pain at a community pharmacy]

The first part of this article deals with the physiology of pain. We focus on the different pathways of pain. Two main mechanisms of pain control are described, namely peripheral control, by the supraspinal gate and central or supra-medular control. Three different mechanisms can induce pain. We focus on pain perception by excess of stimuli and desafferent ways of pain. The following part deals with the different kinds of pain presented to the community pharmacist. At the end we discuss the treatment of pain, describing the pharmacological aspects of the three most important "Over The Counter" molecules, namely paracetamol, aspirin and ibuprofen. Also some combinations of analgesic agents and adjuvants are discussed.