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[Profile of self-medication in Brazil]
P S Arrais1, H L Coelho, M do C Batista
1Departamento de Farmácia, Universidade Federal do Ceará, Fortaleza, Brasil.
Revista De Saude Publica
|February 1, 1997
Summary
Self-medication in Brazil involves many drugs lacking intrinsic value or essential status, often requiring prescriptions. Physician prescribing habits and market selectivity significantly influence these practices.
Area of Science:
- Pharmacology
- Public Health
- Health Services Research
Context:
- Part of a World Health Organization (WHO) multicenter study on self-medication in Latin America.
- Brazilian data collected from Belo Horizonte, Fortaleza, and the city of S. Paulo.
- Focuses on characterizing self-medication by analyzing drugs sought without a physician's prescription.
Purpose:
- To characterize self-medication practices in Brazil.
- To analyze drugs sought by consumers in pharmacies without a physician's prescription.
- To understand the influence of prescribing habits and market selectivity on self-medication.
Summary:
- 5,332 different drugs with 785 active ingredients were analyzed.
- 44.1% of drugs sought required a prescription, and 71.0% were not essential.
- Analgesics, nasal decongestants, anti-inflammatories, and anti-infectives were most frequently requested.
Impact:
- Self-medication in Brazil is influenced by population needs, physician prescribing habits, and pharmaceutical market selectivity.
- Highlights the need for improved pharmaceutical market regulation and prescriber education.
- Informs public health strategies aimed at optimizing medication use and patient safety.