Consumer behavior in OTC medicines market.
Over-the-counter (OTC) drugs are pharmaceuticals sold without a medical prescription. The goal of the paper was to evaluate the awareness in the studied group of people concerning purchasing and usage of the OTC drugs. The essence of the research was to determine whether factors as: education, income, type and place of work influence purchase and use of OTC drugs.


METHODS
Four equal groups (100 people each) were studied by an anonymous questionnaire. Two occupational groups: nurses and people working outside the medical sector, and also 2 student groups--from medical and non-medical schools living in Silesia. Respondents answered 47 questions. Data received from the questionnaire were statistically analyzed by means of the Chi2 test (p < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
More than half of the respondents use OTC drugs. The respondents mainly buy the medicines in pharmacies. People connected with medical sector more often take pharmacists' advice and opinion than people from non-medical sector. The majority of the respondents are not familiar with chemical composition of the OTC drugs they take. Among them medical staff and medical schools students are to be found.
Katedra Zdrowia Publicznego, Wydział Zdrowia Publicznego, Slaski Uniwersytet Medyczny w Katowicach. jwozniak@sum.edu.pl
Joanna
J
Woźniak-Holecka
Mateusz
M
Grajek
Karolina
K
Siwozad
Kamila
K
Mazgaj
Elzbieta
E
Czech
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003258:Consumer Behavior / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004363:Drug Utilization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D004366:Nonprescription Drugs / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011044:Poland / Q000453:epidemiology; D012651:Self Medication / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012737:Sex Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
D004366:Nonprescription Drugs