Abstract
OBJECTIVE: The abuse of over-the-counter (OTC) medications is increasing and has led to a rise in overdose cases. This study examined commonly misused OTC drugs, developed checklist items related to warnings provided during their sale, and conducted field surveys to compare practices based on whether products contained ingredients designated by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW), Japan. METHODS: An eight items checklist was developed using MHLW-specified survey items, with additional items added by the researchers. Using this checklist, a researcher evaluated OTC purchases for 25 different drugs by marking each item as positive () or negative (×) from 17 drugstores. RESULTS: Across 25 products surveyed, the most common positive item was "explanation by a qualified person" (11 positives, 44 %), followed by "point-of-purchase (POP) warning displays" (9 positives, 36 %) and "display near the cash register" (8 positives, 32 %). For OTC drugs containing designated ingredients (n = 13), the item achievement rates were as follows: "explanation by a qualified person," 10 positives, 77 %; "POP warning displays," 9 positives, 69 %; "display of empty boxes," 2 positives, 15 %; and "verbal verification of age," 1 positive, 8 %. The aforementioned items were less likely in the case of OTC drugs without designated ingredients with potential for abuse, with the number of instances of "explanation by a qualified person" and "POP warning displays" being significantly lower (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: To intervene with targets to prevent abuse and issue warnings about OTC drugs during a sale, proactive warnings about misused OTC drugs that do not contain designated ingredients are necessary.