Study on the practice of self-medication in adults from Paraná during the COVID-19 pandemic

The lack of knowledge about medications to prevent or treat COVID-19, as well as the use of previous prescriptions and the storage of medicines at home, can encourage self-medication. Thus, this work aimed to study the practice of self medication in adult individuals from Parana during the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, a quantitative-descriptive and cross-sectional study was carried out with the online distribution of questionnaires reaching people from Parana aged >= 18 years old. The results show that participants (n=329) between 18-37 years old were the most frequent responders. Approximately 24% self-medicated, influenced mainly by having the medication at home (21%) or by family members or friends (13%). Self-medication with vitamins (28%) and ivermectin (20%) in preventing COVID-19 was frequent. However, over-the-counter drugs used for respiratory symptoms were mostly analgesics/antipyretics (17%) and muscle relaxants (10%). Additionally, participants who tested positive for COVID-19 self-medicated with vitamins (6%), ivermectin or nitazoxanide (4%), and analgesics/antipyretics (3%). The use of ivermectin or nitazoxanide for COVID-19 has not been scientifically proven for this purpose. Finally, self-medication for non-respiratory symptoms was higher for analgesics and antipyretics (14%), muscle relaxants (9%), and laxatives (9%). Although little used, self-medication with chloroquine/ hydroxychloroquine was cited, even without an efficacy study for COVID-19. It is concluded that more than half of the adult participants from Parana self-medicated during the COVID-19 pandemic, with the most frequent drug classes being analgesics/antipyretics, muscle relaxants, laxatives, vitamins, and ivermectin.