Self-medication practices to prevent or manage COVID-19: A systematic review

Abstract

Background Previous studies have assessed the prevalence and characteristics of self-medication in COVID-19. However, no systematic review has summarized their findings. Objective We conducted a systematic review to assess the prevalence of self-medication to prevent or manage COVID-19. Methods We used different keywords and searched studies published in PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Embase, two preprint repositories, Google, and Google Scholar. We included studies that reported original data and assessed self-medication to prevent or manage COVID-19. The risk of bias was assessed using the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale (NOS) modified for cross-sectional studies. Results We identified eight studies, all studies were cross-sectional, and only one detailed the question used to assess self-medication. The recall period was heterogeneous across studies. Of the eight studies, seven assessed self-medication without focusing on a specific symptom: four performed in the general population (self-medication prevalence ranged between <4% to 88.3%) and three in specific populations (range: 33.9% to 51.3%). In these seven studies, the most used medications varied widely, including antibiotics, chloroquine or hydroxychloroquine, acetaminophen, vitamins or supplements, ivermectin, and ibuprofen. The last study only assessed self-medication for fever due to COVID-19. Most studies had a risk of bias in the “representativeness of the sample” and “assessment of outcome” items of the NOS. Conclusions Studies that assessed self-medication for COVID-19 found heterogeneous results regarding self-medication prevalence and medications used. More well-designed and adequately reported studies are warranted to assess this topic.

Self-Medication among Health Workers during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Southern Nigeria: Knowledge, Patterns, Practice and Associated Factors

“…HCQ was used in only 1.3% unlike that reported in this present study where 34.3% of respondents used HCQ. This is not surprising as the respondents in our study were all health care workers unlike the study population in the study by Wegbom et al 25 Similar to our study Sadio et al 17,32 also reported Vitamin C, HCQ and Azithromycin amongst the drugs most commonly used. However, 10.2% of their respondents also used traditional medication.…”

“…28,29,30 Our study showed the top 5 medications used by health workers were tabs Vitamin C, Zinc, Azithromycin, antimalarials (other than Hydroxychloroquine) and Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ). Similarly, Wegbom et al 25,32 reported Vitamin C and antimalarials other than HCQ as being amongst the top 5 drugs used for SM. However, they reported their respondents also used antibiotics like amoxicillin and ciprofloxacin and herbal products commonly.…”

“…Minan-Tapia also in Peru reported the use of Acetaminophen, Ibuprofen, Dexamethasone, Aspirin and Azithromycin for SM during the pandemic. 32 The choice of drugs to use during this pandemic was largely influenced by availability in the different locations which was largely affected by importation challenges, travel restrictions and cost implications and the hype via different communication channels especially social media. Vitamin C as well as been cheap and readily available, has been reported to be effective in the management/prevention of Covid-19.…”

“…Minan-Tapia also reported in a study among young undergraduate students in Peru, believing the symptoms were not severe enough to go to a doctor as reason and cost as reasons for SM. 32 Arain et al 36 in Pakistan, reported that in addition to the fear of getting infected the lockdown was a major reason for SM.…”

Extent of and Factors Associated with Self-Medication among Clients Visiting Community Pharmacies in the Era of COVID-19: Does It Relieve the Possible Impact of the Pandemic on the Health-Care System?

“… 59 One of the challenges identified in the COVID-19 era has been the use of antimicrobials as self-medication agents, such as ivermectin, azithromycin, doxycycline, and hydroxychloroquine, which might predispose to toxicity and resistance development. 44 , 66 , 77–80 Medications for the prevention of COVID-19 are mainly vitamins 15 , 66 , 79 , 81 and zinc. 81 Integrated public health education at the community level has an indispensable role in increasing awareness and decreasing the burden on facility-based health-care delivery, and efforts should be made to help mitigate risks of self-medication by the active involvement of pharmacists and other members of the health-care team to correct false claims about drugs.…”