Displaying publications 1 - 20 of 22 in total

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  1. Palaian S, Alshakka M, Mohamed Izham
    Pharm World Sci, 2010 Feb;32(1):2-6.
    PMID: 19894139 DOI: 10.1007/s11096-009-9342-8
    The national pharmacovigilance program in Malaysia is limited to very few centers and under-reporting of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) is a major limitation. Studies from developed countries have documented the importance and usefulness of consumer reporting of ADRs. Involving consumers in ADR reporting can be very useful in improving the reporting rates in Malaysia. The present article highlights the proposed plan of initiating a consumer based pharmacovigilance program in University Wellness Center located inside the campus of the Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang, Malaysia.
  2. Palaian S, Ibrahim MI, Mishra P
    Pharm Pract (Granada), 2011 Oct;9(4):228-235.
    PMID: 24198861
    BACKGROUND: Ozzzzzzzair.

    OBJECTIVE: Ozzzzzzzair.

    METHODS: Ozzzzzzzair.

    RESULTS: Ozzzzzzzair.

    CONCLUSIONS: Ozzzzzzzair.

  3. Ali SE, Ibrahim MI, Palaian S
    Pharm Pract (Granada), 2010 Oct;8(4):226-32.
    PMID: 25126145
    OBJECTIVES:
    The aims of this study are to determine the prevalence, attitudes and behaviours of medication storage and self-medication amongst female students at Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM).

    METHODS:
    A cross-sectional survey was conducted and cluster random sampling technique was used for respondent selection. A pre-piloted questionnaire was administered to female respondents so as to collect the data. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 12 and analysis was conducted using descriptive analysis procedures.

    RESULTS:
    Of the 481 participants (mean age; SD was 22.1; 3.3), 93.1% (n=448) students stated that they stored medicine in their rooms, while 70.7% (n=340) stated that they stopped taking a prescribed medicine without consulting a doctor. The prevalence of self-medication was 80.9% (n=389). The most common reasons for self-medication were related to their knowledge of their ailment and its treatment (58.0%), 14.4% thought it saved time and 8.5% mentioned that medication given by provider was not effective. The most common symptoms were otorhinolaryngology problems (22.5%), followed by respiratory disease (19.6%), Gastro Intestinal Tract (GIT) disease (18.1%) and headache/fever (16.8%). Commonly used medicines were analgesics & antipyretics (30.2%), ear, nose & throat drugs (10.8%), vitamins & minerals (10.8%), GIT drugs (8.5%), anti-infections (7.3%) and herbal medicines (3.5%). Prevalence of medicine storage and self-medication practice is high among educated female students in USM.

    CONCLUSIONS:
    There is a need to educate the students to ensure safe practice by increasing their awareness. Strict policies need to be implemented on the unrestricted availability of medicines so as to prevent the wastage of medicines.
  4. Palaian S, Ibrahim MI, Mishra P
    Pharm Pract (Granada), 2010 Jul;8(3):201-7.
    PMID: 25126141
    The pharmacovigilance program in Nepal is less than a decade old, and is hospital centered. This study highlights the findings of a community based pharmacovigilance program involving the community pharmacists.
  5. Palaian S, Ibrahim MI, Mishra P
    Pharm Pract (Granada), 2010 Jul;8(3):179-86.
    PMID: 25126138
    Analyzing the pattern and quality of scientific communications on pharmacovigilance can help the regional centers in Nepal and other developing countries to develop approaches for communicating effectively medicine safety issues. This kind of research is lacking in developing countries.
  6. Jha N, Shankar PR, Palaian S
    Risk Manag Healthc Policy, 2021;14:793-802.
    PMID: 33658875 DOI: 10.2147/RMHP.S291025
    Background: Medicines may remain unused and often get expired. Unused medicines can promote self-medication. Unsafe and improper medicine disposal can cause significant environmental harm. Medical and dental students as future prescribers should be aware of the safe disposal of medicines, ecopharmacovigilance and self-medication. The present study examines knowledge and practice about unused and expired medicines and medicine disposal among undergraduate medical and dental students in Nepal.

    Methods: The study was conducted during September 2020 using an online survey form. First to final year undergraduate students provided their consent and signed an integrity pledge electronically. Age, gender, program of study, year of study, whether staying with family or not, method of financing education, and whether they had used any allopathic medicines during the past 6 months were noted. The total knowledge score among different subgroups was compared. The frequency of responses regarding practice items and the free-text comments were also listed. Statistical analysis was performed using Mann-Whitney test and Kruskal-Wallis test.

    Results: Altogether 441 of the 668 students (66%) participated. The majority were below 23 years and female. Over 65% had used allopathic medicines during the last 6 months. The median knowledge score was 8 (maximum 10) and was significantly higher among older respondents, females and students in later years of study. Most kept unused medicines at home/hostel till expiry which were disposed of in the household garbage. Over 40% had educated their family members about safe medicine disposal. Knowledge scores were significantly different among subgroups according to respondents' age, gender and year of study.

    Conclusion: Respondents were aware of expiry of medicines and knew methods to safely dispose expired medicines. However, they practiced self-medication, stored medications at home and did not practice the safe disposal of medications. Understanding why respondents did not dispose medicines properly is important.

  7. Shankar PR, Palaian S, Gulam SM
    J Pharm Bioallied Sci, 2020 10 06;13(1):4-10.
    PMID: 34084043 DOI: 10.4103/jpbs.JPBS_404_20
    The corona virus disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic has affected the entire world causing huge economic losses and considerable morbidity and mortality. Considering the explosive growth of the pandemic repurposing existing medicines may be cost-effective and may be approved for use in COVID-19 faster. Researchers and medical practitioners worldwide have explored the use of chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine, in few occasions combined with the macrolide antibiotic azithromycin, for COVID-19 treatment. These two drugs are economic and easily available, and hence gained attention as a potential option for COVID-19 management. As per the available evidence, the outcomes of treatments with these medications are conflicting from both the efficacy and safety (predominantly cardiac related) perspectives. Currently, multiple studies are underway to test the safety and efficacy of these medications and more results are expected in the near future. The retina, the endocrine system (with risk of hypoglycemia), the musculoskeletal system, the hematological system, and the neurological system may also be affected. The use of these drugs is contraindicated in patients with arrhythmias, known hypersensitivity, and in patients on amiodarone. In addition to the published literature, personal communication with doctors treating COVID-19 patients seems to suggest the drugs may be effective in reducing symptoms and hastening clinical recovery. The literature evidence is still equivocal and further results are awaited. There has been recent controversy including retraction of articles published in prestigious journals about these medicines. Their low cost, long history of use, and easy availability are positive factors with regard to use of these drugs in COVID-19.
  8. Shanableh S, Zainal H, Alomar M, Palaian S
    J Pharm Policy Pract, 2023 Jul 18;16(1):92.
    PMID: 37464445 DOI: 10.1186/s40545-023-00593-6
    BACKGROUND: Pharmacovigilance (PV) is an essential component of patient safety and pharmacists are expected to be aware of the PV processes and willing to report ADRs. This study assessed the hospital pharmacists' knowledge, attitude, and practice toward PV, barriers faced by them in ADR reporting, and factors influencing ADR reporting.

    METHOD: A cross-sectional nationwide questionnaire survey was conducted among randomly chosen hospital pharmacists across UAE from March to July 2022. The filled questionnaires were assessed both descriptively [median (IQR scores), maximum 5 for Likert type and 1 for knowledge questions] and inferentially using the Mann-Whitney U test (for dichotomous variables) and the Kruskal-Wallis test (for variables with more than two responses) at alpha value = 0.05. Post hoc analyses and correlations were performed wherever applicable.

    RESULTS: Of the 342 respondents, the majority were knowledgeable about the concepts of PV (93.3%; n = 319) and ADRs (86.8%; n = 297). The overall median (IQR) knowledge score was 5 (3-7)/9. Knowledge levels within 'qualification groups' varied significantly (p-value 

  9. Dawood OT, Ibrahim MI, Palaian S
    Pharm Pract (Granada), 2010 Apr;8(2):96-102.
    PMID: 25132876
    Minor ailments like sore throat, fever, cough and diarrhea can be relieved with over-the-counter (OTC) medications such as paracetamol or other traditional remedies, without seeking for consultation from general practitioners. Parents usually take the responsibility to come up with some kind of treatment for their children.

    OBJECTIVE: (1) to evaluate the parents' medical knowledge about OTC medicines which are usually used by the parents to treat their children and (2) to evaluate the parents' management in dealing with their children's ailments, and (3) to evaluate the association between medical knowledge and the management of children's ailments related to medicine use among the parents.

    METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted to measure the parents' knowledge about their children's ailments. Subjects were selected and information was obtained in September 2008. Non-probability convenient sampling method was used. Parents were recruited from the general public to answer the questionnaires.

    RESULTS: 197 parents filled in the questionnaires. From the total respondents, 48.2% of them were male. This study showed that most respondents have medium knowledge (6.11 SD=3.6) and a moderate management (4.39 SD=2.7). The results showed that there is a significant difference between the knowledge and the management level of ailments (P=0.033). Regarding the education level of the parents and the socioeconomic status, the p-value showed there was a significant difference between parents' knowledge and their education level (P=0.012).

    CONCLUSION: This study showed that parents have inadequate knowledge and some misconception about how to go about treating their children when they are unwell. It is hoped that by identifying weak areas in parents' management to their children's ailments, better planned educational and behavioral modification efforts can be made to elevate the knowledge level among the parents when they medically treat their children.

  10. Farajallah A, Zainal H, Palaian S, Alomar M
    Sci Rep, 2024 Jul 04;14(1):15370.
    PMID: 38965258 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-64605-4
    Medication reconciliation (MedRec) helps prevent medication errors. This cross-sectional, nationwide study assessed the knowledge, perceptions, practice, and barriers toward MedRec amongst hospital pharmacy practitioners in the United Arab Emirates. A total of 342 conveniently chosen stratified hospital pharmacists responded to the online survey (88.6% response rate). Mann-Whitney U test and Kruskal-Wallis test were applied at alpha = 0.05 and post hoc analysis was performed using Bonferroni test. The overall median knowledge score was 9/12 with IQR (9-11) with higher levels among clinical pharmacists (p 
  11. Palaian S, Poudel A, Alam K, Mohamed Ibrahim MI, Mishra P
    Int J Clin Pharm, 2011 Aug;33(4):591-6.
    PMID: 21562802 DOI: 10.1007/s11096-011-9512-3
    Nepal experiences several medicine-use problems like any other developing country. In the recent years, there have been initiatives to introduce the concept of social pharmacy in Nepal, and there has been only a limited research in this area. The staff members at the Manipal College of Medical Sciences, Pokhara have shown keen interest in initiating several social pharmacy-related researches in the country. The members of this institute have been collaborating with two international universities, namely Universiti Sains Malaysia located in Malaysia and Chulalongkorn University located in Thailand, to get academic and technical supports. In this manuscript, the authors share their experiences in initiating social pharmacy research in the country. Authors have also mentioned the priority areas of social pharmacy research in Nepal and the importance of initiating this concept in the country.
  12. Shrestha S, Danekhu K, Kc B, Palaian S, Ibrahim MIM
    Ther Adv Drug Saf, 2020;11:2042098620922480.
    PMID: 32587678 DOI: 10.1177/2042098620922480
    Background: Bibliometric analyses have been used previously to study the measures of quality and impact of research performed in several health-related areas such as adverse drug reactions (ADRs) and pharmacovigilance (PV), etc. This method can assess the research performance of publications quantitatively and statistically. There is no evidence of bibilometric studies analyzing ADRs and PV from Nepal. Therefore, the present study aimed to assess scientific output on ADRs and PV-related research activities in Nepal using a bibliometric analysis of publications from 2004 January to December 2018, that is, 15 years.

    Methods: A systematic search was conducted in PubMed, Web of Science, Google Scholar, Scopus and Nepal Journal Online (NepJOL) databases. 'Adverse Drug Reactions' or 'ADRs' or 'ADR' or 'Adverse drug reaction' or 'AE' or 'Adverse Event' or 'Drug-Induced Reaction' or 'Pharmacovigilance' or 'PV' and 'Nepal'. The search covered 15 years (January 2004 to December 2018) of study on ADRs and PV in Nepal. Only articles retrieved from databases were included, whereas published/unpublished drug bulletins, pharmacy newsletters and thesis were excluded. The articles thus retrieved were recorded, and thereafter analyzed. Word count code was used for the analysis of keywords used in the retrieved articles.

    Results: A total of 124 articles were retrieved, with the highest rate of publications in 2006 and 2007, with 16 papers each. Among the articles, 10 (8.1%) were published in Kathmandu University Medical Journal (KUMJ). Single papers were published in 38 different journals. Brief reports (1.6%), case reports (31.2%), case series (0.8%), education forums (0.8%), letters to the editor (5.6%), original research articles (41.9%), review articles (9.7%), short communications and short reports (8.1%) on ADRs and PV were recorded. Out of 124 papers, 52 (41.9%) were original research publications. The majority (74.1%) of research was done in the category of ADR incidence, types, prevention, and management, followed by policy and suggestions for strengthening national and regional pharmacovigilance centers of Nepal (14.5%).

    Conclusions: During the study years, there was an increase in scientific publications on drug safety. A total of 124 published articles were found during bibliometric analysis of ADRs and PV research activities in Nepal.

  13. Shrestha S, Jha N, Palaian S, Shankar PR
    SAGE Open Med, 2020;8:2050312120974513.
    PMID: 33282309 DOI: 10.1177/2050312120974513
    Good knowledge, awareness and preparedness regarding coronavirus disease 2019, among community pharmacy practitioners (CPPs), will enable them to provide correct information and support to patients, convey instructions from the public health authorities and protect their own health.

    Objective: The aim of this study was to determine knowledge, awareness and preparedness regarding coronavirus disease 2019 among CPPs working in Kathmandu, Nepal.

    Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using a convenience sampling method from 10 February to 25 March 2020. Data were analysed descriptively, and one-sample independent t-test and one-way analysis of variance were used to compare scores among different subgroups of respondents (p 

  14. Alabid AHMA, Ibrahim MIM, Hassali MA, Palaian S
    J Pharm Bioallied Sci, 2021 05 26;13(2):220-229.
    PMID: 34349483 DOI: 10.4103/jpbs.JPBS_680_20
    Introduction: There is a paucity of data on the extended role of community pharmacists (CP) in Malaysia. This study is aimed to evaluate CPs awareness toward their roles in healthcare and interaction with general practitioners (GPs).

    Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional design using a validated questionnaire was conducted nationwide among randomly selected Malaysian CPs. The questionnaire consisted of consisted of 32 questions with three sections. The Cronbach's alpha measure for the scale on awareness was 0.494 and 0.724 for the interaction between CPs and GPs. Descriptive statistics were reported. The Chi-square test, Mann-Whitney test, Kruskal-Wallis test, and post hoc analyses were applied at the alpha level of 0.05.

    Results: Of the 127 CPs who filled out the responses, 57.5% (n = 73) mentioned that they rarely or never interacted with GPs. Many CPs (n = 106, 83.5%) were aware of their role in providing patient education, and 109 (85.8%) indicated that they could suggest nonprescription medicines to patients, whereas 88 respondents (69.3%) were aware that they could suggest alternative medicines. A total of 117 respondents (92.1%) indicated their willingness to perform selected screening tests and identify and prevent prescription errors. A considerable number of CPs (n = 76, 59.8%) were aware of their ability to design and regulate prescribed regimens, and 89 (70.1%) showed their willingness to monitor these regimens. The total average score of the CPs' awareness toward their roles in providing healthcare for the 16 activities/items and the value of the interaction mean score was 12.00 (±2.92), with a median score of 12.00 (interquartile range: 9.5-14.5).

    Conclusions: Malaysian CPs are fully aware of their role in providing healthcare and pharmaceutical care. Though the majority of them were willing to provide extended services, they are often unable to perform these roles due to the lack of interprofessional collaboration, lack of time, and absence of remuneration for their extended services. Training programs, practice guidelines, and professional service fee may encourage CPs to perform more extended services.

  15. Palaian S, Ibrahim MIM, Mishra P, Shankar PR
    J Pharm Bioallied Sci, 2021 05 26;13(2):248-255.
    PMID: 34349487 DOI: 10.4103/jpbs.JPBS_528_20
    Background: The aim of the study was to assess the impact of a pharmacovigilance module on the knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) of pharmacy students and elucidate their feedback on the module.

    Methodology: Bachelor of pharmacy students at Pokhara University, Nepal, were assessed for their baseline KAP on drug safety and related issues using a KAP questionnaire (Cronbach alpha 0.70) consisting of 25 questions. Students' baseline KAP was assessed and after that, they were grouped into either control (2nd and 4th year) or test (1st and 3rd year) groups. The later received the pharmacovigilance training in three 1-h sessions spread over 6 months at 0, 90, and 180 days; the sessions covered introduction to pharmacovigilance, theoretical aspects of pharmacovigilance, and adverse drug reaction reporting procedures. KAP scores and student feedback were analyzed at 5% significance level.

    Results: A total of 124 students (control = 56 and test = 68) were studied. The median (interquartile ranges [IQRs]) of the baseline scores prior to grouping the students into control and test groups was 20 (18.25-21.00) for knowledge, 19.5 (18.00-21.00) for attitude/practice, and 39 (37.00-41.00) for the total score. Males (n = 81) had a slightly higher median score of 40 (37-42) than females (n = 43), who had a median score of 38 (36-41). The KAP score for the control group was 40 (38-42) at baseline, 42 (20-44) during first follow-up, 41.5 (40-44) during second follow-up, and 41 (39-44.5) during third follow-up. For the test group, upon intervention, the KAP scores improved from 39 (36.25-40.75) at baseline to 42 (39.50-44.00) at the 1st follow-up, 43 (41-45) at the 2nd follow-up, and 44 (42-45) at the 3rd follow-up (P < 0.001). The median feedback score (IQR) was 86 (81.5-90.0).

    Conclusions: Pharmacy students had good attitude/practice scores and relatively poor knowledge scores at baseline, which improved postintervention. Student feedback about the module was positive.

  16. Paudel S, Shankar PR, Subedi N, Palaian S
    PLoS One, 2023;18(10):e0291265.
    PMID: 37862336 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0291265
    INTRODUCTION: Bronchial asthma continues to be a problem in the Himalayan country of Nepal. This study explored the impact of bronchial asthma on patients' lives in a hill village in Syangja district, Nepal, and obtained information about the perceived impact of the illness, knowledge of the disease, self-care behaviors and treatment among patients.

    MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study site is the village of Jyamire (located at an elevation between 900 to 1200 m) Syangja district. Individuals suffering from asthma residing in the village aged 18 years or above were included. Semi-structured interviews were conducted face-to-face with the respondents at their homes using an interview guide. The interviews were audio recorded, transcribed in the Nepali language, and then translated into English for further analysis.

    RESULTS: Most participants were female, between 18 to 60 years of age, and housewives. Most houses were built of mud and poorly ventilated. Gas was used for cooking though firewood was also used. Most used to get an average of three serious attacks a year both during winter and summer. The themes that emerged were the number and seasonal variation in attacks, the perceived effect of asthma on their lives and social interactions, the knowledge of the interviewee about the disease, the impact of asthma on their socioeconomic status, and treatment and self-care behaviors. Residing in a hill village required them to walk up and down several times a day and the disease seriously impacted their lives. The smoke produced during different ceremonies and during cooking also worsened their asthma.

    CONCLUSION: Findings suggest, the existence of multiple factors, a few unique to Nepal contributing to poor asthma control. Though the recent socioeconomic improvement has led to improved prevention and treatment options, asthma seriously affected the patients.

  17. Shankar PR, Palaian S, Vannal V, Sreeramareddy CT
    Int J Prev Med, 2021;12:174.
    PMID: 37663401 DOI: 10.4103/ijpvm.IJPVM_604_20
    Coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19), a major global public health emergency has significantly impacted human health and livelihoods. The pandemic continues to spread and treatments and vaccines are at different stages of development. Mass vaccination has been rolled out worldwide. This review article provides a narrative summary of the evidence on various non-pharmacological interventions (NPIs) for COVID-19 containment. The authors reviewed the evidence published by the Norwegian Institute of Public Health map of COVID-19 evidence. Additional literature was identified from PubMed and Google Scholar, preprint sites, and news media. The search terms included "Social distancing measures" and "COVID 19", "Non-pharmacological interventions'' and "COVID 19", "COVID-19", "non-pharmacological interventions", "face mask", etc. The strength of the evidence for most studies on NPIs was 'weak to moderate' for restrictive NPIs. Ascertaining the impact of each NPI as a standalone intervention is difficult since NPIs are implemented simultaneously with other measures. Varying testing and reporting strategies across the countries and classification of deaths directly caused by COVID-19 create challenges in assessing the impact of restrictive NPIs on the case numbers and deaths. Evidence on hygiene measures such as face mask is more robust in design providing credible evidence on prevention of COVID-19 infection. Evidence from modeling studies, natural before-after studies, and anecdotal evidence from the strategies adopted by 'role model' countries suggests that continued use of NPIs is the only containment strategy until 'herd immunity' is achieved to reduce the severe disease and mortality.
  18. Paudel S, Palaian S, Shankar PR, Subedi N
    Risk Manag Healthc Policy, 2021;14:2253-2261.
    PMID: 34104016 DOI: 10.2147/RMHP.S310289
    PURPOSE: The study was conducted to explore the perception of healthcare workers and staff towards the risk of COVID-19 vaccination and to study vaccine hesitancy amongst them.

    METHODS: A total of 266 healthcare workers working in a medical college in Nepal were studied using a questionnaire consisting of three sections: demographics, experiences and perception of COVID-19, and COVID-19 vaccine safety. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS version 26. The total perception score was calculated by noting respondent's agreement with a set of eleven statements using a Likert-type scale. Non-parametric tests (Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis) were used for analysis (p<0.05).

    RESULTS: Altogether, 13.9% of respondents had been diagnosed COVID-19 positive prior to the survey. Many considered themselves to be at increased risk of contracting COVID-19. Only over one third (38.3%) were willing to be vaccinated. The most common reason for refusal/hesitancy was concern about vaccine safety. The median (interquartile range) total perception score was 36 (4) (maximum possible score=55). The score was significantly higher among those who had been diagnosed COVID positive, those who perceived the pandemic as being moderate or severe and among those willing to be vaccinated.

    CONCLUSION: Addressing doubts related to vaccine safety and providing more data on the safety of vaccine may be helpful in overcoming hesitancy.

  19. Sapkota B, Palaian S, Shrestha S, Ibrahim MIM
    Ther Innov Regul Sci, 2023 Jul;57(4):886-898.
    PMID: 37106236 DOI: 10.1007/s43441-023-00514-4
    Materiovigilance (Mv) has the same purpose and approach in ensuring patient safety as pharmacovigilance but deals with medical devices associated with adverse events (MDAEs) and their monitoring. Mv has been instrumental in recalling many defective or malfunctioning devices based on their safety data. All MDAEs, such as critical or non-critical, known, or unknown, those with inadequate or incomplete specifications, and frequent or rare events should be reported and evaluated. Mv helps to improve medical devices' design and efficiency profile and avoid device-related complications and associated failures. It alerts consumers and health professionals regarding counterfeit or substandard devices. Common events reported through Mv are device breakage and malfunction, entry- and exit-site infections, organ perforations or injuries, need for surgery and even death, and life cycle assessment of devices. Health authorities globally have developed reporting frameworks with timeframes for MDAEs, such as MedWatch in the USA, MedSafe in New Zealand, and others. Health professionals and consumers need to be made aware of the significance of Mv in ensuring the safe use of medical devices and getting familiar with the reporting procedures and action plans in case of a device-induced adverse event.
  20. Hassali MA, Shafie AA, Al-Qazaz H, Tambyappa J, Palaian S, Hariraj V
    Int J Clin Pharm, 2011 Oct;33(5):794-9.
    PMID: 21811832 DOI: 10.1007/s11096-011-9539-5
    OBJECTIVE: To assess the prevalence of self-medication among adults in an urban setting and to identify any factors contributing to self-medication in relation to consumer characteristics.

    SETTING: The study was carried out in Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia.

    METHODS: A cross-sectional study using a self administered questionnaire including adults above 21 years old as an exit survey was conducted in Kuala Lumpur.

    MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Number of medications taken in a day by participants, source of medication for the treatment of minor illnesses among participants, common illnesses chosen for self-medication by participants, and the sources of information of participants.

    RESULTS: Of 314 participants, 62.7% had taken at least one medication in the past week without prescription and 62.7% believed that over the counter medicines were just as effective as those prescribed by doctors. 69.4% would seek a healthcare professional's advice before purchasing any medication and 86.9% would consult a pharmacist prior to buying medication from the pharmacy. Only 86% checked the expiry dates on medications and 54.5% reported keeping leftover medication.

    CONCLUSIONS: Self-medication practice is prevalent in Kuala Lumpur but some practice might be harmful. Education on appropriate use of self-medication need to be emphasized in order to ensure quality use of medicines.

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