USE OF MEDICATION DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC: Medication and pandemics relation

• Autor(a) principal: Squinca, Mariana
• Data de Publicação: 2023
• Outros Autores: Gonçalves Arcuri, Ana Flávia, Raposo Pereira, Júlia Thaynara, de Oliveira Ribeiro, Thais, Marini, Danyelle Cristine
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: por; eng
• Título da fonte: Revista de Atenção à Saúde
• Texto Completo: http://seer.uscs.edu.br/index.php/revista_ciencias_saude/article/view/8632
• topic: Aumento; Automedicação; Consumo de medicamentos; Covid-19; Medicamentos; Pandemia; Increase; Automedication; Use of medicine; Covid-19; Medication; Pandemic; Aumento; Automedicación; Consumo de medicamentos; Medicamento; Pandemia

BACKGROUND: The beginning of the covid-19 pandemic implied social isolation, and made it difficult to access health services, which could lead to an increase in the consumption of medicines, on their own or with a doctor's prescription. The influence of advertisements popularizing drugs with no proven efficacy is also highlighted. OBJECTIVE: The present study analyzed whether there was a greater frequency of medication use during social isolation, correlating the fact with variables such as age, sex, drug classes, increased drug dosage and consumption with or without indication. METHODS: The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of UNIFAE, CAAE 36933020.7.0000.5382. This is a cross-sectional survey carried out through a questionnaire on Google Forms, using both multiple choice and discursive questions. To verify the data, descriptive statistical analysis tools were used. RESULTS: A total of 566 responses to the questionnaire were analyzed, and it was found that 49,82% of the participants use medication for continuous use, of which 19,85% needed to increase the dose. In addition, 57,06% of the participants reported using some other type of medication during the pandemic, 74,6% of which were analgesics, 48,91% vitamins, 48,29% antipyretics, 42,72% anti-inflammatory drugs, 24,76% antidepressants and anxiolytics, 17,95% antibiotics, 16,71% ivermectin, 4,02% nitazoxanide and 1,54% chloroquine. CONCLUSIONS: It is concluded that the main classes of drugs used were analgesics, antipyretics and vitamins, with an increase in the frequency of consumption. Such use emerged with the aim of strengthening the immune system, treating feverish symptoms, and treating pain-related complaints, even without a medical prescription.