A study to assess the knowledge regarding the toxicity of ingestion of selected drugs purchased over the counter among patients attending the general outpatient department in a selected hospital at Mangaluru
Hanna Deepa, G Prathiba and R Kanagavalli
Introduction: Over-the-counter medications play a crucial role in the health care system. The easy availability of over-the-counter drugs in pharmacies, supermarkets, and online platforms has increased the risk of misuse and toxicity. The prevalence percentage in India among lower and middle-income groups ranged from 8.3% to 92%.
Objectives: The aim of the study was to assess the knowledge regarding the toxicity of selected drugs purchased over the counter among patients attending the general outpatient department at Mangaluru and to find out the association between knowledge scores and sociodemographic variables.
Material and Methods: A non-experimental descriptive research design was used. A simple random technique was used to obtain 30 study samples. Data were collected using a self-structured knowledge questionnaire and analyzed by using descriptive and inferential statistics.
Results: The study findings revealed that among 30 samples, 19 (63%) had moderate knowledge, 9 (30%) had inadequate knowledge, and only 2 (7%) had adequate knowledge. The overall mean score and standard deviation were 12.63±4.83, and the mean percentage was 46.81%.
Conclusion: The study concluded that majority of patients had moderate knowledge, and the information booklet was distributed to improve the knowledge of the toxicity of ingestion of selected drugs purchased over the counter.
Hanna Deepa, G Prathiba, R Kanagavalli. A study to assess the knowledge regarding the toxicity of ingestion of selected drugs purchased over the counter among patients attending the general outpatient department in a selected hospital at Mangaluru. Int J Adv Res Nurs 2025;8(2):83-87. DOI: 10.33545/nursing.2025.v8.i2.B.528
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