Knowledge of patients on safe medication use in relation to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs

INTRODUCTION: Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are widely prescribed and used medications that are used as analgesic, antipyretic, or anti-inflammatory agents, but have a high risk of adverse effects. OBJECTIVE: The main purpose of this study is to evaluate the knowledge of patients toward the risks and safe usage of NSAIDs. METHODS: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among patients who attended orthopedic clinics at King Khalid University Hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, during December 2017 to February 2018. A self-administered questionnaire comprising three sections [sociodemographic information, patients’ knowledge of NSAIDs, and the attitude toward receiving information about NSAIDs’ adverse drug reactions (ADRs)] was used. The attitude was measured with a 5-point Likert scale. RESULTS: The mean duration of NSAIDs usage was 7.3 ± 6.9 years. Only 45% of the respondents used NSAIDs daily, while 38% said they only used NSAIDs as needed. Nearly one-quarter of patients (25.5%) were counseled by a healthcare provider on the risks of NSAIDs. Almost 94% and 90.5% of the study subjects agreed that physicians and pharmacists, respectively, should play an essential role in providing information regarding ADRs to their patients. More than half of the respondents claimed that information about ADRs might lead them to discontinue their medicines. More than one-third of respondents stated that their healthcare setting provided them with insufficient knowledge of ADRs. CONCLUSION: Counseling of patients may diminish potentially inappropriate use and increase risk awareness. Healthcare providers can improve their role in identifying and counseling patients on NSAIDs.