ArticleGlobal health action2021
Knowledge, use (misuse) and perceptions of over-the-counter analgesics in sub-Saharan Africa: a scoping review.
Article in Global health action, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 14 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
14 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 30 citations in OpenAlex.
- Improving antibiotic utilization in West Africa: enhancing interventions through systematic review and evidence synthesis.Antimicrobial resistance and infection control · 2025Pooled it
- Pooled it
- The use and misuse of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (Ibuprofen) and paracetamol among mothers who presented with their children in health facilities in Enugu, South‒East Nigeria.BMC public health · 2026Article
- Perforated peptic ulcer disease in a resource-limited setting: a retrospective analysis of a South African cohort.BMC gastroenterology · 2026Article
- Status and influencing factors of OTC medicine use for self-medication in cold and cough: a cross-sectional survey in Japan.BMC public health · 2025Article
- "Resilience amidst challenges": Healthcare users' experiences of access and utilisation of primary healthcare services during the COVID-19 pandemic in southwestern Uganda.PLOS global public health · 2025Article
- Burden of chronic pain among adult pastoralists in Ethiopia: a cross-sectional household survey.Pain · 2024Article
- Article
- Self-Medication Practice and Associated Factors Among Health Science Students in Central Tanzania.The East African health research journal · 2024Article
- Advocacy for patients with headache disorders.eNeurologicalSci · 2023Review
- Frequency and Knowledge of Analgesics Self-Use and Their Adverse Effects in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia.Cureus · 2023Article
- Review
- Self-Medication Practices in Nigeria: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Nigerian medical journal : journal of the Nigeria Medical AssociationArticle
- Self-Medication with Modern and Complementary Alternative Medicines in Patients with Chronic Pain.Journal of research in pharmacy practiceArticle
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors at 3 institutions in 3 countries.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundOver-the-counter (OTC) analgesics are safe for pain-management when used as recommended. Misuse can increase the risk of hypertension and gastrointestinal problems.
objectiveTo conduct a scoping review of the uses and misuses of OTC analgesics in sub-Saharan Africa, to inform strategies for correct use.
methodFollowing guidelines for conducting a scoping review, we systematically searched Pubmed, ResearchGate and Google Scholar databases for published articles on OTC analgesic drug use in sub-Saharan Africa, without restrictions on publication year or language. Search terms were 'analgesics', 'non-prescription drugs', 'use or dependence or patterns or misuse or abuse' and 'sub-Saharan Africa'. Articles focusing on prescription drugs were excluded.
resultsOf 1381 articles identified, 35 papers from 13 countries were eligible for inclusion. Most were quantitative cross-sectional studies, two were mixed-methods studies, and one used qualitative methods only. About half (
conclusionSelf-medicating with OTC drugs including analgesics is prevalent in sub-Saharan Africa. However, literature on reasons for this, and misuse, is limited. Research is needed to educate providers and the public on safe use of OTC drugs.
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What OpenQuestion holds
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.