Availability of over-the-counter drugs for arthritis in Sao Paulo, Brazil

Seventy pharmacies located in Sao Paulo were randomly selected and visited. Seven researchers posed as ordinary clients presenting with a standardized complaint of symptoms according to a scenario previously defined. The client asked for medicines to relieve his/her pain or discomfort. After the sel...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Social science & medicine (1982) 1996-04, Vol.42 (8), p.1129-1131
Main Authors: Ferraz, Marcos Bosi, Pereira, Ronaldo Borges, Paiva, Jose Gerardo A, Atra, Edgard, Santos, Jose Quirino Dos
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
analgesics
Analgesics - supply & distribution
Analgesics - therapeutic use
Anti-Inflammatory Agents - supply & distribution
Anti-Inflammatory Agents - therapeutic use
Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal - supply & distribution
Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal - therapeutic use
Arthritis
Arthritis - drug therapy
Arthritis - epidemiology
Brazil
Brazil - epidemiology
Developing Countries
developing country
drug therapy
drug utilization
Drug Utilization Review
Drugs
Female
Health
Health Services Misuse - statistics & numerical data
Humans
Male
Nonprescription drugs
Nonprescription Drugs - supply & distribution
Over the counter sales
Pharmacies - statistics & numerical data
pharmacy
pharmacy drug utilization arthritis developing country drug therapy analgesics
Sao Paulo
Social research
Steroids
São Paulo
Treatment
Urban Health
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Description
Summary:Seventy pharmacies located in Sao Paulo were randomly selected and visited. Seven researchers posed as ordinary clients presenting with a standardized complaint of symptoms according to a scenario previously defined. The client asked for medicines to relieve his/her pain or discomfort. After the seller's suggestion the client asked for 2 drugs randomly selected from a drug list containing 30 trademarked drugs commonly prescribed to arthritis patients. These drugs should be available only on prescription. In only 12.8% of the pharmacies did the seller initially suggest the client see a physician. The sellers ‘prescribed’ non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID), vitamins, analgesics (AN) and corticosteroids (CO) in respectively 42.8, 20.0, 14.3 and 5.7% of the visits. From the drug list, the client secured 67.7% of the NSAID, 65.0% of the CO and 20.0% of the sedatives without presenting a prescription. Pharmacy sellers usually comply with the clients demands. Future studies should aim at the evaluation of interventions to reduce the availability of the over-the-counter drugs for arthritis.
ISSN:0277-9536
1873-5347
DOI:10.1016/0277-9536(95)00393-2