Observational studyPloS one2018
Pattern of medication selling and self-medication practices: A study from Punjab, Pakistan.
Observational study in PloS one, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 41 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
41 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 106 citations in OpenAlex.
- Prevalence and patterns of self-medication in Pakistan: a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMC public health · 2025Pooled it
- Article
- Improving antibiotic prescribing in LMICs: Insights from an outpatient clinic in Pakistan.New microbes and new infections · 2026Article
- The pattern of self-medication practice among adult patients attending primary healthcare centers at NGHA in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.Journal of family medicine and primary care · 2025Article
- Patterns of Health Services and Medicine Utilisation by First-Generation Pakistani Immigrants in New Zealand.Health expectations : an international journal of public participation in health care and health policy · 2025Article
- Determinants of Benzodiazepine-Dispensing Practice Among Community Pharmacy Dispensers in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.Advances in pharmacological and pharmaceutical sciences · 2025Article
- Extensively drug-resistant Salmonella typhi Infection in Adults; Experience from A Tertiary Care Hospital.Pakistan journal of medical sciences · 2024Article
- Prevalence and Determinants of Self-Medication Practices among Cardiovascular Patients from Béja, North West Tunisia: A Community-Pharmacy-Based Survey.Pharmacy (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Article
- Factors Influencing Public Attitudes and Willingness to Utilize Telepharmacy Services in the UAE.International journal of telemedicine and applications · 2024Article
- Article
- Community Pharmacies in the Asian Countries of Developing Health System: Formation, Regulation, and Implication.Pharmacy (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Article
- Evaluating the Counseling Standards and Ability of Pharmacy Staff to Detect Antibiotic-Drugs Interactions: A Simulated Client Study from Pakistan.Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Article
- Logic model for opioid safety in chronic non-malignant pain management, an in-depth qualitative study.International journal of clinical pharmacy · 2023Article
- Dispensing practices for psychotropic medications amongst pharmacists in Karachi, Pakistan.Heliyon · 2022Article
- Self-Medication Behaviors of Chinese Residents and Consideration Related to Drug Prices and Medical Insurance Reimbursement When Self-Medicating: A Cross-Sectional Study.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Article
- Bringing Medicine from Pakistan and Self-Medication Among Pakistani Mothers in New Zealand.Journal of immigrant and minority health · 2022Article
- Self-medication and its typology in Chinese elderly population: A cross-sectional study.Frontiers in public health · 2022Article
- Access to the healthcare system: Experiences and perspectives of Pakistani immigrant mothers in New Zealand.Journal of migration and health · 2022Article
- Self-Medication Practices in Medical Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Analysis.Frontiers in public health · 2022Article
- Open Online Courses for Strengthening Laboratory-Based Detection of Antimicrobial Resistance in Pakistan.Frontiers in public health · 2022Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors at 4 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundAccess to medicines without prescription is a major contributing factor for self-medication practices. This study was designed to examine the ratio of non-prescribed medicines sales and self-medication practices in Punjab, Pakistan. This study also evaluates the reasons for self-medication within its communities.
methodsAn observational study was conducted in 272 systemically selected pharmacies to analyze medicines-related sales, with or without prescription. A cross-sectional survey was performed between June 2015 and November 2016. Consumers were interviewed about their self-medication practices.
resultsOf the pharmacies surveyed, 65.3% participated in the study. A total of 4348 medicines were purchased for self-medication by 3037 consumers (15.2% of all study participants), of which 873 (28.7%) participated in an interview. Majority (81.2%) medicine purchaser, (90.9%) interview participants, and (59.4%) drug users were male. On average, each community pharmacy sold 7.9 medicines without prescription each day, to an average of 5.5 customers. Many participants (28.9%) had matriculation in their formal education. The medicines most often sold for self-medication were analgesics and antipyretics(39.4%). More than 25% of participants reported fever symptoms and 47.8% assumed their illness was too trivial to consult a doctor. Media advertisements were the most common source of information for participants (46.7%).
conclusionMany types of medicines were often sold without prescription from community pharmacies. Self-medication was common practice for a wide range of illnesses. Pakistan also needs effective implementation of policies to monitor medication sales. Public education about rational medication and limits to advertising medicine are very necessary.
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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.