Knowledge of patients on safe medication use in relation to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs

Charting the Knowledge and Patterns of Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs Usage in Hail Population, Saudi Arabia: Insights into the Adverse Effect Profile

(1) Background: It is crucial to provide safe and knowledgeable healthcare practices because no research has been performed on the knowledge and usage patterns of NSAIDs among the Hail population. (2) Method: Structured questionnaires were utilized to gather data from 399 individuals in Hail, Saudi Arabia, for the cross-sectional analysis. The study assessed participants' knowledge regarding NSAIDs, patterns of use, reasons for use, and awareness of potential side effects. (3) Results: In the study, the gender distribution indicated that 170 participants (42.61%) were male, whereas 229 (57.39%) were female. Gender, occupation, and marital status showed non-significant associations except for menstrual cycle and joint pain, where marital status displayed significant associations (p > 0.001). Education and monthly income exhibited non-significant associations for all these reasons. The regression analysis demonstrated that gender played a significant role, with females having higher odds of knowledge (AOR = 1.75, 95% CI 1.10-2.88) than males. Meanwhile, >50% of the participants had knowledge of adverse events related to the use of NSAIDs, whereas 25% had no knowledge. Moreover, 59 (25.76%) participants reported discomfort with the use of NSAIDs. In addition, 50% and >75% of respondents believed that NSAIDs could induce peptic ulcers and kidney damage, respectively. (4) Conclusions: This study shed light on the knowledge and patterns of NSAIDs use in the population of Hail, Saudi Arabia. Healthcare providers and policymakers should consider these insights to develop targeted educational initiatives and healthcare interventions to promote safe and informed NSAID utilization in the region.

Prevalence, awareness, and patterns of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug use among health science students in Palestine: a cross-sectional study

Despite the widespread use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), many people lack sufficient awareness regarding their side effects and proper usage. Consequently, this study aimed to assess the knowledge, behavior, and usage patterns of NSAIDs among students enrolled in Palestinian health colleges. The study was conducted in December 2020 using a cross-sectional design, and a convenience sampling method was employed to enroll a total of 206 students. The questionnaire comprised seven sections, each containing approximately 5 to 10 closed-ended questions. Data were analyzed using version 21 of the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (IBM-SPSS Statistics 21). The percentage of respondents who admitted that NSAIDs were used several times in the year was 35.9%. More than half of the students believed that NSAIDs were generally safe. Seventy-two percent of the students were aware that more than one type of NSAID at the same time increased the side effects. The median knowledge score of NSAID side effects was 9 [6.25-11] out of 13. The knowledge score increased significantly with age (p < 0.001), higher academic year (p < 0.001), and pharmacy and medicine specialties (p = 0.002). The college students surveyed in this study possess a general awareness of NSAIDs. Nonetheless, there remains a necessity to enhance their behavior and practices concerning the utilization of NSAIDs through the implementation of programmed educational strategies.

Evaluation of the knowledge, practices, and attitudes of community pharmacists towards adverse effects of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs): a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are the most commonly used over-the-counter medications for the treatment of pain, fever, and inflammation. Gastrointestinal problems and renal complications are the most frequently observed adverse effects associated with NSAID usage. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the levels of knowledge, attitude, and practice regarding the adverse effects of non-prescription NSAIDs among community pharmacists in Egypt.

METHODS

A 4-month cross-sectional survey, including licenced community pharmacists in Egypt, was conducted. The anonymous Google Forms survey was accompanied by a cover letter explaining its purpose. The survey link was sent to 2000 verified community pharmacist email addresses with clear instructions to complete and submit the questionnaire within 3 weeks. Descriptive and inferential statistical analyses were conducted using IBM-SPSS version 26. The means of variables were compared using analysis of variance test. Pearson correlation was employed to assess the level of linear association between the overall knowledge, practice, and attitude scores. P-value ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

RESULTS

Approximately 80% of community pharmacists in Egypt exhibit moderate-to-good knowledge regarding the adverse effects of NSAIDs. Additionally, 60.6% of them demonstrated a positive attitude and 80.9% showed moderate-to-good practice scores towards preventing such adverse effects. The education level was the only demographic factor with significant effects on the NSAIDs-related knowledge, practice, and attitude scores. Community pharmacists primarily rely on internet sources for knowledge updates. Additionally, there was a significant positive linear correlation between knowledge and attitude (r = 0.384, P < 0.001), knowledge and practice (r = 0.178, P < 0.001), and between attitude and practice (r = 0.311, P < 0.001) among the participants.

CONCLUSION

Community pharmacists have a vital responsibility to perform screenings, assess patient risk elements, and share knowledge to guarantee the appropriate and safe utilisation of NSAIDs. Given that internet sources are presently the most accessible and used sources of information, governmental directions should prioritise the establishment and enhancement of freely accessible drug information sources for community pharmacists. Further research is necessary to assess the effectiveness of counselling and appropriate guidance provided by community pharmacies in promoting safe and proper drug usage.

Characterization of potentially inappropriate medication prescriptions for the elderly in primary care and hospital settings

Background

Polypharmacy cannot be defined numerically due to its varied definitions, and inclusion of comorbidities aggravates the dilemma, creating challenges for the healthcare system and the patients' course of treatment. The introduction of the potentially inappropriate medication (PIM) list developed by the American Geriatrics Society (AGS) (AGS Beers Criteria®; updated in 2019) was deemed a solution. However, several risk factors are associated with PIMs, including increased emergency room visits, hospitalization and mortality, and a decline in daily activity. Differences in PIM prescription rates have been reported; however, with the recent Beers criteria update, the number of patients exposed to PIMs is expected to increase significantly due to the addition of new medications to the list.

Objectives

This study aimed to describe the characteristics of PIM prescriptions for the elderly in primary care and hospital settings.

Methods

Medications for elderly patients prescribed in our hospital between 2016 and 2019 were reviewed and sorted based on Beers criteria to identify patients with the most PIMs. Correlations were made between gender and facility.

Results

This study included 40,168 patients (51% males). The total and average numbers of PIM per elderly patient were 260,753 and 6.5, respectively. Proton pump inhibitors were prescribed the most, followed by nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.

Conclusions

We found that increasing numbers of PIMs are prescribed to the elderly in our healthcare facilities. Therefore, further recommendations from local geriatric communities and the implementation of reminders for physicians through electronic prescription systems are needed to decrease the rate of prescribed PIMs.

Assessing the Knowledge of Analgesic Drugs Utilization during Pregnancy among Women in Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study

BACKGROUND

Pain is a common compensation mechanism in pregnant women that they may face during gestation due to physiological changes. Paracetamol and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are the most administered analgesic drugs worldwide. Therefore, safety and efficacy are important measures for the use of analgesics during pregnancy.

OBJECTIVE

Assess the knowledge of analgesic drug utilization among Saudi pregnant women.

METHOD

We conducted a self-administered survey with an electronic questionnaire via Google Drive among a sample of 406 Saudi women.

RESULTS

About half of the respondents took analgesics during the first trimester, and 52.5% of women have used analgesics at least once without any medical advice during their gestation. Most participants agreed that paracetamol is the safest and effective analgesic drug during pregnancy, yet 61.8% of women are not aware that analgesics could be detrimental to the fetus if inappropriately administered in the third trimester.

CONCLUSION

Participants have a good perception of the safest and most effective analgesic drug during pregnancy, but they have poor knowledge about analgesics' side effects.

Evaluation of the community pharmacists' performance in the screening of non-steroidal anti-inflmmatory drugs risks in Saudi Arabia

OBJECTIVES

To assess community pharmacists' knowledge and practices regarding screening risk factors and providing safety information about the use of non- steroidal anti-in ammatory drugs (NSAIDs) to patients.

METHODS

Cross-sectional and a self-administered questionnaire-based study was conducted over a 4-month period (May-August 2019) with selected community pharmacies in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The questionnaire composed of demographic data and the pharmacist's role in supplying NSAIDs.

RESULTS

The majority of participating community pharmacists dispense NSAIDs. However, many did not apply relevantly good communication skills such as seeking information about concomitant drugs (42.5%) or providing advice on managing any adverse side effects of taking NSAIDs (39.1%). Most of the community pharmacists also did not provide relevantly good communication about risk factors. The most common screening risk factors mentioned were a history of pregnancy and breastfeeding (84.2%) followed by being at an older age (74.5%) or a history of a gastrointestinal ulcer (71.5%).

CONCLUSION

Community pharmacists in Saudi Arabia need to appropriately screen their patients for adverse drug reactions and the ectively communicate the risks of using NSAIDs. The Saudi Regulatory Authority could endorse several approaches to apply a good strategy for improving the dispensing practices in community pharmacies, communication and awareness of risk factors especially in high-risk patients who are taking NSAIDs.