Over-the-Counter Medicine Use Prior to and During Hospitalization

Abstract

BACKGROUND: In the UK, medicines are being reclassified from prescription-only drugs to allow supply without prescription. This allows faster and easier access to medicines to treat minor ailments and allows patients to take greater responsibility for their health. However, over-the-counter (OTC) drugs may pose risks to patients; thus, it is important to understand patients' OTC medicine use. OBJECTIVE: To assess use of OTC drugs prior to and during hospital stay of inpatients of all ages and specialties. METHODS: Data were collected for 186 randomly selected patients. Patients were interviewed about OTC medicine use. Clinical notes and drug charts were examined for documentation of OTC medicine use. RESULTS: A total of 268 OTC medicines were used by 119 (64.0%) patients, and 117 (43.7%) were taken at least daily. Only 13 (4.9%) OTC drugs were recorded in the drug history taken at admission. Twenty-six (9.7%) OTC agents were still taken during hospitalization, but only 8 (31%) were recorded on drug charts. Patients bought 183 (68.3%) items from pharmacies, 28 (10.4%) in health food shops, and 57 (21.7%) elsewhere including supermarkets, homeopaths, or mail order. Patients had little knowledge of potential adverse effects or contraindications. CONCLUSIONS: Many patients use OTC medication prior to and during hospital stay, but documentation in hospital notes is poor. Healthcare professionals must pay closer attention to patients' use of OTC drugs.