How well informed are pharmacy customers in Estonia about minor illnesses and over-the-counter medicines.
OBJECTIVE
To determine how knowledgeable pharmacy customers are regarding their own health and information about minor illnesses and over-the-counter medicines.


METHODS
A written questionnaire was sent in the period of January to April 2003 to a sample of pharmacies in different regions of Estonia. Questionnaires were then distributed to randomly selected pharmacy customers. Of 886 questionnaires given out, 727 were answered and returned; a response rate was 82%.


RESULTS
Half of the respondents assessed their health as good or excellent. When minor illnesses occurred, most used home remedies or over-the-counter medicines. Their knowledge of such illnesses was better than that of over-the-counter medicines. In both cases, the pharmacist was the most frequently used information source. Drug administration, which preparation should be chosen for which illness, and the drug price were the three most often asked questions in the pharmacy. The information about over-the-counter medicines given in the pharmacies was regarded as sufficient by 51% of the respondents.


CONCLUSIONS
Although lay people do know about over-the-counter medicines and especially about minor illnesses, pharmacists play a very important part in providing information about medicines. However, drug communication by healthcare professionals regarding over-the-counter medicines should be given more attention in the future.
Volmer
Daisy
D
Department of Pharmacy, University of Tartu, Jakobi Str. 2, 51014 Tartu, Estonia. daisy.volmer@ut.ee
Lilja
John
J
Hamilton
David
D
D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003376:Counseling; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D004346:Drug Information Services; D004957:Estonia; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008519:Medicine, Traditional; D004366:Nonprescription Drugs; D010595:Pharmacists; D012424:Rural Population; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014505:Urban Population
D004366:Nonprescription Drugs