ASSESSMENT OF CONSUMERS DRUG KNOWLEDGE IN ADDIS ABABA: CROSS-SECTIONAL SURVEY

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ASSESSMENT OF CONSUMERS DRUG KNOWLEDGE IN ADDIS
ABABA CROSS-SECTIONAL SURVEY Tenaw Andualem
and Tsige Gebre-Mariam School of Pharmacy,
Addis Ababa University (INRUD Ethiopia) E-mail
tenawandualem_at_hotmail.com
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INTRODUCTION

• Knowledge on drugs is an important element in
  their proper use.
• Studies on adults indicate that individuals are
  able to discriminate between minor and major
  ailments. They take care of minor problems on
  their own.
• More than 60 of the reported illnesses are dealt
  with over-the-counter (OTC) drugs. A few studies
  indicate that adolescents gain drug knowledge
  through drug consumption, i.e., not prior to
  taking drugs and college students use the
  frequently advertised products.

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INTRODUCTION Continued

• Obviously, such practices may lead to potential
  risks, particularly so during self-medication.
• Drugs can be dangerous, particularly to those who
  have little awareness on the potential risks.
• One of the factors that contribute to improper
  use of drugs is lack of overall knowledge on
  drugs.

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INTRODUCTION Continued

• Problem Statement Knowledge on drugs is an
  important element for proper drug use. Knowing
  the names of drugs alone should not be considered
  as adequate.

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OBJECTIVES

• To assess consumers drug knowledge and the
  influencing factors thereof in the sampled
  population of Addis Ababa.

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METHODS

• Design Cross-sectional Study
• Setting Stratified random samples of community
  pharmacies were selected as study sites. Included
  community pharmacies both public and private
  located at different geographical locations of
  Addis Ababa City.

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METHODS Continued

• Study Population
• The study includes all drug consumers who came
  for self-medication during January to February
  2002.
• A total of 1200 convenient samples of
  self-medicating drug consumers were taken for the
  study.
• Outcome Measure(s)
• Assess level of knowledge and perception of
  consumers about drugs.

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RESULTS

• Respondents consisted of Socio-demographic
  characteristics of all age categories of both
  genders varying educational backgrounds and
  occupation.
• As regards information on names of drugs, drug
  consumers know not only the names of OTC drugs
  but also of potent prescription only drugs.
• Among the top 15 frequently recalled drugs, six
  were antimicrobials, namely, Ampicillin,
  Tetracycline, Metronidazole, Amoxicillin,
  Cotrimoxazole and Chloramphenicol.

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RESULTS Continued

• Drug consumers indicated preferences for dosage
  forms (96) the highest being for tablets
  (36.5), followed by injections (28.3) and
  liquid dosage forms (20.2).
• Nearly half (50.4) of drug consumers reported
  they quit taking the full course of medication
  before the date advised by the health care
  provider when illnesses are relieved.

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Table 1 Responses of patients on various
questions testing their knowledge on drugs (Addis
Ababa, Jan-Feb, 2002).  
Response Yes () 95 CI
Discontinue taking drugs before the date advised? (n 896) 29.8 26.8 - 32.9
Discontinue taking drugs during fasting period? (n 899) 13.7 11.5 - 16.1
Take drugs with alcohol? (n 912) 6.1 4.7 - 8.0
Share drugs with others? (n 900) 28.1 25.2 - 31.2
Check expiry dates before taking drugs? (n 910) 68.2 65.1 - 71.2
Know the difference between antimicrobials and analgesics? (n 878) 23.7 20.9 - 26.7
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Table 2 Knowledge of drug interactions of drug
consumers
Type of interaction Yes (F)
Drug with drug 464 53.4
Drug with alcohol 781 87.4
Drug with some food 514 58.8
Cannot be given to children 651 76.1
Cannot be given to pregnant breast-feeding mothers 530 61.5
Cannot be taken by people with chronic diseases 373 44.4
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Table 3 The frequent reasons for discontinuation
of drugs before the date advised by the health
care provider
Reasons for discontinuation F
When illnesses are relieved 196 50.4
Believed drug is not working 65 16.7
When Side effects create problems 80 20.6
To save for later use 41 10.5
Other reasons 7 1.8
Total 389 100.0
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Figure 1 Dosage form preferences of drug
consumers (n 713, Addis Ababa, Jan-Feb, 2002).
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CONCLUSION

• Knowing the name of the drug alone does not
  necessarily mean adequate knowledge. It was
  evident from non-compliance on the use of drugs.
• Adequate information and counseling should be
  provided to drug consumers on the drugs they
  request and that have to be assured.
• The public has to be educated on the proper use
  of drugs.

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Research Question

• Specific research on the relationship between
  drug knowledge and self-medication and drug
  knowledge, attitude and use (KAU).
• Interventions research in the areas of consumers
  knowledge of drugs.
• Preparation of Proper Drug Use Educational
  materials (to the public and to the health care
  providers) to encourage proper use of drugs