Over the counter drugs and self-medication: A worldwide paranoia and a troublesome situation in India during the COVID-19 pandemic

Ann Med Surg (Lond). 2022 Jun:78:103797. doi: 10.1016/j.amsu.2022.103797. Epub 2022 May 26.

Abstract

Self-medication is the use of drugs to treat self-diagnosed ailments without the use of a formal prescription. Self-medication is defined by the World Health Organization as the use of medications to address self-diagnosed diseases or symptoms. Over-the-counter (OTC) pharmaceuticals are medications that can be sold without a prescription directly to the client in accordance with the laws of each nation. During the COVID-19 pandemic, an increasing tendency in the use of OTC and self-medication was seen, with the situation in India particularly deteriorating due to lax regulatory restrictions. This has resulted in a slew of problems, ranging from a lack of drugs to severe responses due to overdosage and drug-drug combinations. There is an urgent need for more tangible regulatory control over self-medication and OTC medications to safeguard the uninformed populace from harm.

Keywords: COVID-19; India; Over-the-counter drugs; Public health; Self-medication.