Over-the-counter drugs for pre-menstrual syndrome: is the pharmacist still part of the picture?

Abstract

Background: Pre-menstrual syndrome (PMS) includes a wide range of symptoms, affects women of reproductive age and often leads to self-diagnosis and self-medication. Many products are available from the community pharmacy for PMS symptoms without a doctor's prescription. Aims: This study aims to examine female pharmacy consumers' perceived efficacy of non-prescription products marketed for PMS and period pain, which include vitex, evening primrose oil, ibuprofen, mefenamic acid and naproxen. It also aims to quantify the pharmacist's role in product recommendation based on women's perceptions. Method:The study utilises a ten-question survey. Participants were females experiencing PMS, who were recruited from nine community pharmacies in Darwin and Palmerston, over 3 or 6 weeks, between July and October 2012. Results: A response rate of 31.3% was achieved and 45 completed questionnaires were included in the final data analysis. Among the participants, the most commonly used non-prescription products were the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (83%). Only 22% of reported recommendations were made by a pharmacist. Conclusion: PMS is a condition which consumers often choose to treat with non-prescription products; however, their choice of product does not always reflect the symptoms experienced. Pharmacists did not appear to play a major role in product recommendation, and the role of pharmacists might have been minimised owing to the sensitive nature of the condition at hand.

Prevalence of symptoms and medication use among female medical students and pharmacy clients with premenstrual syndrome: a cross‐sectional study in Iran

“…23 In a questionnaire based study, El-den and Yee surveyed severity of menstrual symptoms and use of non-prescription medications in pharmacy clients in Australia. 10 Only 31% (47/125) of completed questionnaires were returned. Bloating, musculoskeletal pain, sad feelings and depression were the most frequently reported symptoms by responders.…”

“…Sarahroodi et al . reported that 9.5% of Iranian university or college students used analgesics for their PMS …”

“…Sarahroodi et al 9 reported that 9.5% of Iranian university or college students used analgesics for their PMS. 10 When considering the management of PMS in Iran, it should be noted that few over-the-counter medications are available. Previous international studies have shown that pharmacists seldom ask questions around medication selection in women presenting with PMS.…”

Community Pharmacists’ Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice in Providing Self-Care Recommendations for the Management of Premenstrual Syndrome

“…However, some women may find neither the long-term use of prescription medications, which could cause substantial side effects, nor lifestyle modifications sufficient to manage the symptoms. The need for safe and effective over-the-counter (OTC) products have prompted many women to consider non-prescription products for PMS [11]. Many non-prescription products are useful for alleviating PMS symptoms.…”

“…Their efficacy has been established mostly based on anecdotes [8]. Because OTC products have shown some efficacy in the treatment of PMS, this has led to self-medication among women with PMS [11]. In Malaysia, a variety of OTC products are available for managing PMS, and Malaysian women prefer OTC products over prescription medications [12].…”