ReviewPharmacology research & perspectives2017
Self-medication misuse in the Middle East: a systematic literature review.
Review in Pharmacology research & perspectives, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 55 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
55 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 135 citations in OpenAlex.
- Multifaceted and educational interventions to improve prescribing indicators in the Middle East and North Africa Region: a systematic review and meta-analysis.International journal of clinical pharmacy · 2026Pooled it
- Antimicrobial resistance among GLASS pathogens in conflict and non-conflict affected settings in the Middle East: a systematic review.BMC infectious diseases · 2020Pooled it
- Application of Freire's adult education model in modifying the psychological constructs of health belief model in self-medication behaviors of older adults: a randomized controlled trial.BMC public health · 2020Trial
- Clinical presentations, complications, and outcomes of benoxinate topical ophthalmic anesthetic abuse: a retrospective cohort study.Journal of ophthalmic inflammation and infection · 2026Article
- Article
- Influence of Social Media on Self-Medication Behavior: A Study on Ozempic Use Among Emirati University Students.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2026Article
- Article
- The role of pharmacists in dermatology: a cross-sectional evaluation of the educational needs, knowledge, and practices of community pharmacists regarding the use of topical medications in chronic dermatological diseases.BMC health services research · 2025Article
- Review
- Impact of health literacy on healthcare outcomes in hospitalized patients in Lebanon including quality of life and antibiotic knowledge.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- Epidemiology of urinary tract infections in the Middle East and North Africa, 1990-2021.Tropical medicine and health · 2025Article
- Development and validation of a contraceptive dispensing protocol for community pharmacists in Qatar: a Delphi study.Journal of pharmaceutical policy and practice · 2025Article
- Knowledge, attitudes, and practices of pharmacists toward over-the-counter medication use in Iraq: a nationwide cross-sectional study.Frontiers in pharmacology · 2025Article
- Real-World Off-Label Use of Semaglutide for Weight Reduction: User Behavior, Effectiveness, and Satisfaction.Patient preference and adherence · 2025Article
- The challenge of multidrug resistance in hospitalized pediatric patients with urinary tract infections.Frontiers in cellular and infection microbiology · 2025Article
- Assessment of factors associated with self-medication practices during the COVID-19 pandemic in southwestern Ethiopia: a community-based cross-sectional survey.BMC infectious diseases · 2024Article
- Exogenous Melatonin Use in University Students: A Cross-Sectional Survey.Pharmacy (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Article
- Self-medication practice among the general public in Jordan: a cross-sectional study.Frontiers in public health · 2024Article
- Community pharmacists' role towards preventing abuse or misuse and dependence of codeine-containing analgesic medications in Saudi Arabia: a multicenter cross-sectional study.Frontiers in pharmacology · 2024Article
- The private market for antimicrobials: an exploration of two selected mining and frontier areas of Guyana.Revista panamericana de salud publica = Pan American journal of public health · 2024Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Regulations usually distinguish between prescription-only (POM) and over-the-counter (OTC) medicines. The former requires medical prescription; the latter are available for SM of common minor or easily treated ailments. However, in the Eastern Mediterranean countries, theoretical prescription medicines can easily be purchased without a prescription, as self-medication (SM) resulting in potential misuse and unnecessary risk for patients. The magnitude of this activity is uncertain. The aim of this article, therefore, is to undertake a comprehensive review to identify the different types of medicines that can easily be purchased as SM in Middle East and recognized as misused. An extensive review of the published literature (1990-2015) was conducted using Pubmed, web of science, Cochrane, and Google Scholar databases, for OTC medicine misuse in the Middle East. A total of 72 papers were identified. Medicines involved in misuse included: codeine containing products, topical anesthetics, topical corticosteroids, antimalarial, and antibiotics. Self-medication misuse of medicines seemed widespread. Individual treatment patterns were not clearly identified. Studies were not standardized, limiting the comparability between studies and the estimation of the scale of misuse. Pharmacists, friends, or parents were found to be the main sources of SMs. Knowledge and attitudes are an important contributing factor in the misuse of these medications. Strategies and interventions to limit misuse were rarely identified in literature. In conclusion, a massive problem involving a range of medicines was found in Middle East. Standardization of studies is a prerequisite to the understanding and prevention of misuse of self-medication.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.