The Role of Pharmacists in a Community Pharmacy for Self-Medication of Patients with Headache

Abstract

Pharmacists in a community pharmacy may recommend an over-the-counter (OTC) drug to patients with headache. However, it is not clear how pharmacists should distinguish the symptoms of patients and facilitate appropriate self-medication. Here, we investigated the role of pharmacists in a community pharmacy in recommending OTC drugs for self-medication by patients with headache and elucidated their future needs using a questionnaire intended for doctors and pharmacists. More than half of the pharmacists surveyed did not have any experience with recommending OTC drugs for patients with headache. To distinguish between patients for whom pharmacists should``recommend OTC drugs'' and patients who should be encouraged``to consult a hospital or clinic,'' doctors thought that pharmacists should use an``assistance tool to diagnosis headache, such as a screener for migraine'' and``guidelines for chronic headache.'' However, few pharmacists used these tools. About 68％ of doctors indicated that it would be``meaningful'' for pharmacists to distinguish patients with headache. Moreover, both doctors and pharmacists thought that pharmacists should provide patients not only with``instruction on the use of drugs'' but also suggest``when to consult a hospital or clinic.'' However, 32％ of doctors indicated that it is``meaningless'' for pharmacists to attempt to distinguish patients with headache and expressed concern about the increase of patients who overuse headache medication. Theseˆndings provide useful information to guide pharmacists in community pharmacy when recommending OTC drugs for self-medication by patients with headache.

Pattern self-medication use of analgesics in Pune, Maharashtra, India

“…2 Headache is the commonest cause for use of analgesic self-medication in this study and pharmacist was one of the major source of information of self-medication. Naito et al 20 in their study observed that pharmacist in community pharmacy recommending drugs for headache and elucidated future needs using a questionnaire intended for doctors and pharmacists. More than 50% pharmacists were not having any experience with recommending Over The Counter (OTC) drugs for patients with headache, hence they were not able to give proper guidance about need of physician visit or OTC medication and recommended use of assistance tool to diagnosis headache like screener for migraine and guidelines for chronic headache.…”

“…More than 50% pharmacists were not having any experience with recommending Over The Counter (OTC) drugs for patients with headache, hence they were not able to give proper guidance about need of physician visit or OTC medication and recommended use of assistance tool to diagnosis headache like screener for migraine and guidelines for chronic headache. 20 The factors that influence self-medication are patient satisfaction with the healthcare provider, cost of the drugs, educational level, socioeconomic factors, age and gender. 10 In this study, decreased healthcare cost and education level are the factors observed that can affect self-medication of analgesics.…”

Evaluation of Clinical Reasoning in Basic Emergencies Using a Script Concordance Test

“…[1][2][3] However, pharmacists need guidelines and training to improve their patient counselling skills, especially those needed for basic emergencies. 4 No articles published from 1995-2009 were found in PubMed that matched the following search criteria: pharmacy students, emergencies/emergency situations, and training/education.…”

Medication overuse headache: strategies for prevention and treatment using a multidisciplinary approach

“…Both doctors and pharmacists thought that pharmacists should not only provide patients with "instruction on the use of drugs" but also suggest "when to consult a hospital or clinic". 31 However, strategies may need to be devised to motivate patients to do this, as another Japanese survey of pharmacists and doctors found that 22% of pharmacists had experienced refusal by patients with headache to consult a clinic, despite the pharmacist's recommendation. 32 Community pharmacists have an important role in supporting patients with headache.…”