Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34934370›Full record

ArticleRisk management and healthcare policy2021

Extent of and Factors Associated with Self-Medication among Clients Visiting Community Pharmacies in the Era of COVID-19: Does It Relieve the Possible Impact of the Pandemic on the Health-Care System?

Aklilu Tekeba, Yohanes Ayele, Belay Negash, Tigist Gashaw

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Risk management and healthcare policy, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 11 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
11citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
2.4field-weighted citation impact, top 10% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

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.

2 · The registry

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.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

11 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 22 citations in OpenAlex.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Aklilu TekebaMicheta Community Pharmacy, Daro Lebu Health Office, West Harerghe, Ethiopia.
Yohanes AyeleDepartment of Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, College of Health and Medical Sciences, Hawassa University, Hawassa, Ethiopia.ORCID 0000-0002-6473-7752
Belay NegashSchool of Public Health, College of Health and Medical Sciences, Haramaya University, Harar, Ethiopia.
Tigist GashawDepartment of Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Pharmacy, College of Health and Medical Sciences, Haramaya University, Harar, Ethiopia.ORCID 0000-0002-4419-739X
Haramaya University · ETHawassa University · ET

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundSelf-medication is one aspect of self-care that has been shown to benefit primary health care. When done correctly, it provides significant benefits to customers, such as self-reliance and cost savings. Inappropriate methods, on the other hand, such as incorrect self-diagnosis and therapy selection, can be disastrous. The COVID-19 pandemic context may benefit the community in easing the burden on the health system. There have been no studies conducted on this possibility in the context of COVID-19 in a selected area, hence the purpose of this study was to determine the extent of and factors associated with self-medication among clients visiting community pharmacies in west Harerghe, Ethiopia from June 1 to 30, 2020.

methodsThis institution-based cross-sectional study used a systemic random sample of 416 community-pharmacy clients. To collect data, face-to-face interviews were conducted using pretested semistructured questionnaires modified from established techniques. EpiData 3.1 was used to enter data and SPSS 24 for analysis. To determine factors associated with self-medications, bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed. AORs with 95% CIs are used to report associations, and the level of significance was set at

resultsThe proportion of people self-medicating was 73.6% (95% CI 69.2%-77.9%). Self-medications were significantly associated with age 18-24 years (AOR 9.28, 95% CI 3.56-24.21) and 25-34 years (AOR 3.54, 95% CI 1.35-9.27), Amhara ethnicity (AOR 1.72, 95% CI 1.01-2.94), current single status (AOR 0.28, 95% CI 0.15-0.51), government employment (AOR 0.31, 95% CI 0.12-0.82), and limited knowledge (AOR 2.31, 95% CI 1.40-3.79).

conclusionThree in four participants practiced self-medication in the era of COVID-19. Repetition was significantly associated with age, ethnicity, current marital status, type of occupation, and knowledge about self-medications. An alternative medical care-delivery system by all health-care providers and increasing community awareness should be promoted.

Indexed as

community pharmacyCOVID-19Ethiopiaself-medication

Identifiers

PMID34934370
PMCPMC8683580
OpenAlexW4200414351

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.