Home Medication Cabinets and Self-Medication: A Source of Potential Health Threats?

Abstract

We found large amounts of drugs per household, with a high prevalence of analgesics and NSAIDs. Self-medication, although generally acceptable in terms of indication and dosage, was commonly practiced, also with prescription drugs. Taking into account that younger people showed a significantly higher intention of self-medication, a sustained awareness of the risks of self-medication is warranted for the future.

Farmácias domiciliares e sua relação com a automedicação em crianças e adolescentes

“…Notwithstanding the different methodologies employed, the results of this study exhibit similarities with those of studies carried out in other countries 4,5,8,9,11 and in the South of of regular intervention programs to prevent accidents at home and of legislation to make use of medical packaging with safety caps obligatory, 17 which, unfortunately, does not yet exist in Brazil. 18 Although classically the great majority of toxic exposures affecting children up to the age of 6 years are unintentional and of low toxicity, 18,19 swallowing just two pills of a calcium channel blocker such as nifedipine or amlodipine, for example, can cause serious morbidity and, occasionally, death at this age, indicating the risk generated by lack of concern for the safe storage of these medications.…”

“…18 Although classically the great majority of toxic exposures affecting children up to the age of 6 years are unintentional and of low toxicity, 18,19 swallowing just two pills of a calcium channel blocker such as nifedipine or amlodipine, for example, can cause serious morbidity and, occasionally, death at this age, indicating the risk generated by lack of concern for the safe storage of these medications. 20 In general the quantities of pharmaceutical preparations stored followed the same ranking as in a previous study in which we compared use of medications due to self-medication or recent medical prescription, 13 suggesting that keeping medicines at home could be one extra factor inducing self-medication, 11 particularly of analgesics/antipyretics and antibiotics for systemic use. 4,5,[8][9][10] Furthermore, the quantity of acetylsalicylic acid stored by the self-medication group was 10 times greater than the quantity stored by the medical prescription group, indicating that this medicine is probably not bought on the basis of medical advice.…”

“…10,11 Antibiotics for systemic use were the second major group of pharmaceutical preparations stored, the majority partially consumed. The most common antibiotic was trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, which is similar to a description of the situation in Russia, 5 where 83.6% of a population stored antibiotics at home, according to a study that assessed a sample of 900 families living in nine large cities in Russia.…”

“…1 Faced with this situation, both developed countries and those in development have invested in programs with the objective of reducing irrational drugs use and waste, employing, with the support of the WHO, regulatory measures aimed tentional toxic exposure (particularly of small children) and intentional intoxication. 4,5,[8][9][10][11] Although "responsible self-medication" (taking medicines that do not require a medical prescription to treat symptoms) may, possibly, reduce "pressure" on health systems where there are access difficulties, the procedure is contestable and is not risk free. 8,12 Taking into consideration the above, in combination with the fact that studies investigating the characteristics of home medicine chests are rare both internationally 4,5,8,9,11 and in Brazil, 10 the objective of this study was to investigate the principal characteristics of the home medicine chests of the families of individuals selected for a population-based epidemiological study into self-medication in children and adolescents, following up on a previously published paper 13 which analyzed other variables which could have had an influence on self-medication.…”

Samsun’da Erken Çocukluk Çağı Zehirlenmeleri 2010-2015

“…Çocuklu ailelerde bu durum daha tehlikeli olup bu ilaçlar potansiyel zehirlenme riski taşımaktadır. Evlerde bulunan aile bireylerinin kullandığı ya da kullanım dışı kalmış ilaçlar-la oluşan zehirlenmeler ile ilgili yapılan araştırmalarda en çok ölümün çocukluk çağında olduğu akıldan çıkartılma-malıdır (30)(31)(32).…”