Analysis of the Use of Over-the-Counter Therapy for the Prevention and Treatment of COVID-19
<i>Background and Objectives</i>: Self-medication includes the use of drugs or herbal preparations based on one’s own discretion or the recommendation of another person, often a family member, friend, neighbor, or even a pharmacist, without prior examination and consultation with a docto...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2025-04-01
|
| Series: | Medicina |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1648-9144/61/5/803 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1850257289428074496 |
|---|---|
| author | Ivan Vukosavljević Nataša Djorić Ivana Vukosavljević Jasmina Milovanović Nataša Zdravković Katarina Djordjević Nebojša Zdravković Marina Kostić Ana Barjaktarević Snezana Cupara Ivan Čekerevac Nevena Vasović Aleksandra Tomić Lučić Marija Šorak Nikola Mirković Olivera Kostić |
| author_facet | Ivan Vukosavljević Nataša Djorić Ivana Vukosavljević Jasmina Milovanović Nataša Zdravković Katarina Djordjević Nebojša Zdravković Marina Kostić Ana Barjaktarević Snezana Cupara Ivan Čekerevac Nevena Vasović Aleksandra Tomić Lučić Marija Šorak Nikola Mirković Olivera Kostić |
| author_sort | Ivan Vukosavljević |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <i>Background and Objectives</i>: Self-medication includes the use of drugs or herbal preparations based on one’s own discretion or the recommendation of another person, often a family member, friend, neighbor, or even a pharmacist, without prior examination and consultation with a doctor. The goal of this study was to determine respondents’ reasons for using self-medication, determine the frequency of self-medication, and analyze differences in respondents’ attitudes about self-medication in relation to several factors. <i>Materials and Methods</i>: The study was conducted as a cross-sectional observational study. The respondents were patients seeking medical examination at the Health Center in Jagodina who had used over-the-counter medications during the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 175 respondents participated in the study. The study design provided answers to questions about the respondents’ self-medication habits during the COVID-19 pandemic. <i>Results</i>: More than half of the respondents (53.71%) bought medicines without a prescription, with most cases involving analgesics (52.83%). Almost three-quarters of the respondents were completely vaccinated (74.29%) against COVID-19. Additionally, 39.62% of participants used vitamins as part of their self-medication during the COVID-19 pandemic. Among the vitamins, respondents most commonly used a combination of vitamins C and D (20.75%), vitamin D (5.66%), vitamin C (5.66%), and vitamin A (1.89%). <i>Conclusions</i>: Self-medication for the treatment of coronavirus is more often used by younger respondents, who are not yet married, do not have their own income, and rarely visit a doctor. As for supplements, respondents used zinc, and as for vitamins, respondents mostly used a combination of vitamins C and D. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-c5fff4b27f2b4b6f99197880d99860dc |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 1010-660X 1648-9144 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-04-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Medicina |
| spelling | doaj-art-c5fff4b27f2b4b6f99197880d99860dc2025-08-20T01:56:28ZengMDPI AGMedicina1010-660X1648-91442025-04-0161580310.3390/medicina61050803Analysis of the Use of Over-the-Counter Therapy for the Prevention and Treatment of COVID-19Ivan Vukosavljević0Nataša Djorić1Ivana Vukosavljević2Jasmina Milovanović3Nataša Zdravković4Katarina Djordjević5Nebojša Zdravković6Marina Kostić7Ana Barjaktarević8Snezana Cupara9Ivan Čekerevac10Nevena Vasović11Aleksandra Tomić Lučić12Marija Šorak13Nikola Mirković14Olivera Kostić15Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Kragujevac, 34000 Kragujevac, SerbiaFaculty of Medical Sciences, University of Kragujevac, 34000 Kragujevac, SerbiaFaculty of Medical Sciences, University of Kragujevac, 34000 Kragujevac, SerbiaDepartment of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Kragujevac, 34000 Kragujevac, SerbiaDepartment of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Kragujevac, 34000 Kragujevac, SerbiaDepartment of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Kragujevac, 34000 Kragujevac, SerbiaCenter for Research on Harmful Effects of Biological and Chemical Hazards, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Kragujevac, 34000 Kragujevac, SerbiaDepartment of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Kragujevac, 34000 Kragujevac, SerbiaPharmacy Department, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Kragujevac, 34000 Kragujevac, SerbiaPharmacy Department, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Kragujevac, 34000 Kragujevac, SerbiaDepartment of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Kragujevac, 34000 Kragujevac, SerbiaFaculty of Hotel Management and Tourism, University of Kragujevac, 36210 Vrnjačka Banja, SerbiaDepartment of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Kragujevac, 34000 Kragujevac, SerbiaDepartment of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Kragujevac, 34000 Kragujevac, SerbiaVascular Surgery Center, University Clinical Center Kragujevac, 34000 Kragujevac, SerbiaCenter for Research on Harmful Effects of Biological and Chemical Hazards, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Kragujevac, 34000 Kragujevac, Serbia<i>Background and Objectives</i>: Self-medication includes the use of drugs or herbal preparations based on one’s own discretion or the recommendation of another person, often a family member, friend, neighbor, or even a pharmacist, without prior examination and consultation with a doctor. The goal of this study was to determine respondents’ reasons for using self-medication, determine the frequency of self-medication, and analyze differences in respondents’ attitudes about self-medication in relation to several factors. <i>Materials and Methods</i>: The study was conducted as a cross-sectional observational study. The respondents were patients seeking medical examination at the Health Center in Jagodina who had used over-the-counter medications during the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 175 respondents participated in the study. The study design provided answers to questions about the respondents’ self-medication habits during the COVID-19 pandemic. <i>Results</i>: More than half of the respondents (53.71%) bought medicines without a prescription, with most cases involving analgesics (52.83%). Almost three-quarters of the respondents were completely vaccinated (74.29%) against COVID-19. Additionally, 39.62% of participants used vitamins as part of their self-medication during the COVID-19 pandemic. Among the vitamins, respondents most commonly used a combination of vitamins C and D (20.75%), vitamin D (5.66%), vitamin C (5.66%), and vitamin A (1.89%). <i>Conclusions</i>: Self-medication for the treatment of coronavirus is more often used by younger respondents, who are not yet married, do not have their own income, and rarely visit a doctor. As for supplements, respondents used zinc, and as for vitamins, respondents mostly used a combination of vitamins C and D.https://www.mdpi.com/1648-9144/61/5/803self-medicationCOVID-19socio-demographic characteristicsvitaminssupplements |
| spellingShingle | Ivan Vukosavljević Nataša Djorić Ivana Vukosavljević Jasmina Milovanović Nataša Zdravković Katarina Djordjević Nebojša Zdravković Marina Kostić Ana Barjaktarević Snezana Cupara Ivan Čekerevac Nevena Vasović Aleksandra Tomić Lučić Marija Šorak Nikola Mirković Olivera Kostić Analysis of the Use of Over-the-Counter Therapy for the Prevention and Treatment of COVID-19 Medicina self-medication COVID-19 socio-demographic characteristics vitamins supplements |
| title | Analysis of the Use of Over-the-Counter Therapy for the Prevention and Treatment of COVID-19 |
| title_full | Analysis of the Use of Over-the-Counter Therapy for the Prevention and Treatment of COVID-19 |
| title_fullStr | Analysis of the Use of Over-the-Counter Therapy for the Prevention and Treatment of COVID-19 |
| title_full_unstemmed | Analysis of the Use of Over-the-Counter Therapy for the Prevention and Treatment of COVID-19 |
| title_short | Analysis of the Use of Over-the-Counter Therapy for the Prevention and Treatment of COVID-19 |
| title_sort | analysis of the use of over the counter therapy for the prevention and treatment of covid 19 |
| topic | self-medication COVID-19 socio-demographic characteristics vitamins supplements |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1648-9144/61/5/803 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT ivanvukosavljevic analysisoftheuseofoverthecountertherapyforthepreventionandtreatmentofcovid19 AT natasadjoric analysisoftheuseofoverthecountertherapyforthepreventionandtreatmentofcovid19 AT ivanavukosavljevic analysisoftheuseofoverthecountertherapyforthepreventionandtreatmentofcovid19 AT jasminamilovanovic analysisoftheuseofoverthecountertherapyforthepreventionandtreatmentofcovid19 AT natasazdravkovic analysisoftheuseofoverthecountertherapyforthepreventionandtreatmentofcovid19 AT katarinadjordjevic analysisoftheuseofoverthecountertherapyforthepreventionandtreatmentofcovid19 AT nebojsazdravkovic analysisoftheuseofoverthecountertherapyforthepreventionandtreatmentofcovid19 AT marinakostic analysisoftheuseofoverthecountertherapyforthepreventionandtreatmentofcovid19 AT anabarjaktarevic analysisoftheuseofoverthecountertherapyforthepreventionandtreatmentofcovid19 AT snezanacupara analysisoftheuseofoverthecountertherapyforthepreventionandtreatmentofcovid19 AT ivancekerevac analysisoftheuseofoverthecountertherapyforthepreventionandtreatmentofcovid19 AT nevenavasovic analysisoftheuseofoverthecountertherapyforthepreventionandtreatmentofcovid19 AT aleksandratomiclucic analysisoftheuseofoverthecountertherapyforthepreventionandtreatmentofcovid19 AT marijasorak analysisoftheuseofoverthecountertherapyforthepreventionandtreatmentofcovid19 AT nikolamirkovic analysisoftheuseofoverthecountertherapyforthepreventionandtreatmentofcovid19 AT oliverakostic analysisoftheuseofoverthecountertherapyforthepreventionandtreatmentofcovid19 |