'I Was Present but I Was Absent': Perceptions and Experiences of the Non-Medical Use of Prescription or over the Counter Medication among Employed South African Women

Nadine Harker; Jodilee Erasmus; Warren Lucas; Diane Deitz; Carrie Brooke-Sumner

doi:10.3390/ijerph19127151

'I Was Present but I Was Absent': Perceptions and Experiences of the Non-Medical Use of Prescription or over the Counter Medication among Employed South African Women

Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 Jun 10;19(12):7151. doi: 10.3390/ijerph19127151.

Authors

Nadine Harker^{1

2}, Jodilee Erasmus¹, Warren Lucas¹, Diane Deitz³, Carrie Brooke-Sumner^{1

4}

Affiliations

¹ Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drug Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town 7505, South Africa.
² School of Public Health and Family Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7700, South Africa.
³ The ISA Group, Alexandria, VA 22314, USA.
⁴ Alan J Flisher Centre for Public Mental Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7700, South Africa.

Abstract

Background: The need for workplace substance use prevention programmes globally and in South Africa is driven by the growing problem of substance use and the associated burden on the health and welfare of employees, their families and organizations. Substance use, which include the non-medical use of medications (both prescription and over-the counter), remains widespread and is a major cause of mortality and a risk factor for non-communicable diseases (NCDs).

Method: Twenty in-depth semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with employed women in treatment or shortly out of treatment for the non-medically indicated use of over the counter or/and prescription medications (NMIU). These interviews were conducted face-to face with women residing in the Western and Eastern Cape provinces of South Africa. Thematic analysis using NVIVO was used to analyse data collected.

Results: The findings from this study suggest that previous use of legal or illegal substances and challenging life experiences underpin pathways to the non-medical use of over-the-counter and prescription medications among employed women. Factors found to contribute to misuse relate to a lack of understanding on risks, and health professional prescribing practices, while mitigators to harmful use were related to increased awareness and understanding harmful practices, the need for improved access and referral to specialist treatment as well as prevention programmes for women.

Conclusion: With the improved understanding of the issues surrounding the NMIU of over-the-counter and prescription medications among employed women, the need for interventions to prevent misuse and inadvertently dependency is highlighted.

Keywords: South Africa; employment; over-the-counter medication; prescription medications; substance use disorders; women.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Female
Humans
Nonprescription Drugs
Prescription Drugs* / therapeutic use
Prescriptions
South Africa
Substance-Related Disorders* / epidemiology
Substance-Related Disorders* / therapy

Substances

Nonprescription Drugs
Prescription Drugs

Grants and funding

C.B.-S. is supported as a postdoctoral fellow, and W.L. is supported as a PhD Student by funding from the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) through its Division of Research Capacity Development under the Intra-Mural Postdoctoral Fellowship Programme and PhD Internship Scholarship, where funding is obtained through the South African National Treasury. This study and data collection was funded by the National Research Foundation (NRF) in South Africa. The content here-of is the sole responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the SAMRC or the funders.