Misuse of prescription analgesics and predictors of analgesic misuse among urban young adults of Sikkim, India

Abstract

Background: Non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are the most widely used analgesics and are available without prescription. NSAIDs can be acquired outside of pharmacies, the increase in NSAID consumption and the decrease in professional counseling (by physicians and pharmacists) may pose a serious risk for a substantial increase in adverse effect occurrences. Literature documents several factors affecting the possibility of analgesic misuse such as health status, the frequency and the manner of using analgesics, education and literacy skills (knowledge of safe usage, dosing, combining with other drugs etc.).Aim: The aim of this study was to recognize and describe the important predictive factors of the misuse of prescription analgesics among urban young adults of either sex in Sikkim, India. Methods: A pre devised validated case record form was administered to n=700 subjects. Data was statistically analyzed using Statistical Package of Social Sciences software. Results: Statistically significant results were obtained for pain in the past 30 days (χ2 = 23.282, df=1, P 0.001), source of income (χ2 = 7.326, df=2, P=0.026), smoking in the past 30 days (χ2 = 14.430, df=2, P=0.001), body mass index (χ2 = 140.224, df=2, P 0.001) and depression (χ2 = 13.811, df=2, P=0.001).Conclusion: Several socio-demographic and lifestyle factors along with smoking in the past one month were associated with a continuous regular analgesic misuse of method was carried out utilizing ICH-guidelines. The described HPLC method method was successfully for the analysis of pharmaceutical formulations containing dosage form.