Every week, we will provide a brief summary and a link to the published abstract of newly published papers selected from the worldwide literature as being of particular interest to the SelfCare community.
FREQUENCY OF PRIMARY NONADHERENCE TO ACNE TREATMENT.
By: Anderson KL, Dothard EH, Huang KE, Feldman SR.
JAMA Dermatology 2015 Jun 1;151(6):623-6.
Summary: The frequency of primary non-adherence to acne treatment has not been well characterized. The complexity of multi-drug acne regimens may add to this problem. Overall, 27% of patients did not fill all their prescriptions. Of patients who were given 1, 2, or 3 or more treatments, 9%, 40%, and 31%, respectively, did not fill all their prescriptions. Primary adherence to an acne treatment regimen is better when only 1 treatment is prescribed.
INTRODUCING INTERNET RETAILING OF OTC DRUGS IN JAPAN:REVISION OF THE PHARMACEUTICAL AFFAIRS LAW.
By: Nakai K, Tanaka T.
Therapeutic Innovation & Regulatory Science. March 2015 49:284-288.
Summary: Only the low-risk category of OTC drugs were permitted to be sold via the Internet, which was stipulated by the ordinance of the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare under the Pharmaceutical Affairs Law in Japan. Two Japanese retailers of OTC drugs, who want to retail OTC drugs via the Internet, launched proceedings against the rule, and the Supreme Court gave a decision that the ministerial ordinance is illegal and invalid. The Ministry immediately started discussion to make rules for Internet retailing of OTC drugs. A bill designed to enable Internet retailing of OTC drugs was passed in December 5, 2013.
USE OF A FIXED COMBINATION OF ACETYLSALICYLIC ACID, ACETAMINOPHEN AND CAFFEINE COMPARED WITH ACETAMINOPHEN ALONE IN EPISODIC TENSION-TYPE HEADACHE: META-ANALYSIS OF FOUR RANDOMIZED, DOUBLE-BLIND, PLACEBO-CONTROLLED, CROSSOVER STUDIES.
By: Diener HC, Gold M, Hagen M.
Journal of Headache and Pain 2014; 15(1): Dec 2014.
Summary: Four randomized, controlled trials of identical design in 1900 patients with episodic tension-type headache comparing acetylsalicylic acid, acetaminophen and caffeine vs acetaminophen or placebo were pooled. The proportion of headache episodes pain-free at 2 h was significantly higher with the triple combination (28.5%) vs acetaminophen (21.0%) and placebo (18.0%), and similarly for those severe at baseline (20.2% vs 12.1% and 10.8%). The triple combination was generally well tolerated.
ASSESSING A CONCEPTUAL MODEL OF OVER-THE-COUNTER MEDICATION MISUSE, ADVERSE DRUG EVENTS AND HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE IN AN ELDERLY POPULATION.
By: Mhatre SK, Sansgiry SS.
Geriatric Gerentology International 2015; Jan 22.
Summary: Of the 154 subjects in this report, 18.2% misused OTC medication and 22.1% reported adverse reactions as a result of such use.
PHYSICIAN ATTITUDES TOWARD OVER THE COUNTER AVAILABILITY FOR ORAL CONTRACEPTIVES.
By: Howard DL, Wall J, Strickland JL.
Maternal and Child Health Journal 2013; 17: 1737-43.
Summary: The authors assessed MD attitudes to OTC availability for oral contraceptive pills. The majority of the 638 respondents (71%) were against such a switch for combined oral contraceptives, and among this subset of respondents, the primary concern was safety (92.3 %). Respondents were more evenly divided on the issue of a switch for progestin-only-pills but again, of those who opposed, 73.2% cited safety as their primary concern. For progestin-only-pills, female doctors were more likely to support OTC availability.
SELF-MEDICATION PRACTICES AMONG PARENTS IN ITALY.
By: Garofalo L, Di Giuseppe G, Angelillo IF.
BioMed Research International 2015; Article Number: 580650.
Summary: The aims of this cross-sectional survey were to document the prevalence, determinants, and reasons for using oral medication without the prescription of a physician among a sample of 672 Italian parents. A total of 69.2% practiced self-medication at least once. The odds of having performed a self-medication were higher in females, in younger population, and in those who have had a health problem in the preceding year. NSAIDs were frequently used without a prescription. Two-thirds inappropriately self-medicated in the last year at least once.