Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36059596›Full record

ReviewAnnals of medicine and surgery (2012)2022

The scenario of self-medication practices during the covid-19 pandemic; a systematic review.

Abhigan Babu Shrestha, Manjil Aryal, Junu Rana Magar, Sajina Shrestha, Labiba Hossainy, Fahmida Hoque Rimti

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Annals of medicine and surgery (2012), 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 30 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
30citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
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

30 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
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  5. Prescription-only medicine requests by clients: Insights from community pharmacies.Exploratory research in clinical and social pharmacy · 2026
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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

6 authors.

Abhigan Babu ShresthaM Abdur Rahim Medical College, Rajshahi University, Dinajpur, Bangladesh.
Manjil AryalM Abdur Rahim Medical College, Rajshahi University, Dinajpur, Bangladesh.
Junu Rana MagarCentral Institute of Science and Technology, Pokhara University, Kathmandu, Nepal.
Sajina ShresthaKIST Medical College, Imadol, Patan, Nepal.
Labiba HossainyDepartment of Pediatrics, Shaheed Ziaur Rahman Medical College Hospital, Bogra, Bangladesh.
Fahmida Hoque RimtiChittagong Medical College, Chittagong, Bangladesh.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Self-medication association with an ongoing pandemic is evident in the studies conducted throughout the world. To summarize the findings of previous papers, we carried out a systematic review to observe the current scenario of self-medication during COVID-19. Methodology: Scopus, Embase, Web of Science, PubMed, MedRxiv preprints, SciELO Preprints, google, and google scholar were searched using keywords related to the topic. Studies reporting original data and assessing the self-medication practices during Covid-19 were included. Results: A total of 660 papers were collected and 14 cross-sectional studies among them were finalized from 12 different countries after apposite screening processes. Our study measured that during the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a 44.786% prevalence of self-medication. Analgesics, antibiotics, and nutritional supplements were commonly practiced drugs. Pharmacy and hospital outlets were the main sources of the drugs. Fever, sore throat, body ache (muscle pain), and flu or cough were among the most frequently recorded illnesses; treatment and prevention of COVID-19 were the main culprit behind self-medication. During COVID-19, the major factors associated with self-medication were fear, anxiety, and perception regarding COVID-19. Thus, in this pandemic, fear, anxiety, and rumors regarding immunity boosters, nutritional supplements, financial burden, and easy accessibility to even non-OTC drugs; all have their fair share in self-medication practices. Conclusion: As there was heterogeneity regarding COVID-19 and self-medication found among the assessed studies, educating general people about safe self-medication practices, hazards of superfluous drug usage, and provision of an affordable quality-health system should become a priority, especially in low and middle-income countries.

Indexed as

COVID-19DrugsPandemicReviewSelf-medication

Identifiers

PMID36059596
PMCPMC9419440

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
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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.