Non-Medical Use of Prescription Drugs in Bangalore, India.

ABSTRACT

Background: Non-medical prescription drug use is an ongoing problem in India; however, there is paucity of literature in the Indian population. Objective: The objective of the present study is to explore the non-medical use of prescription medicines in urban Bangalore, South India (N = 717). Materials and Methods: Participants were recruited using a mall-intercept approach, wherein they were intercepted in 5 randomly selected shopping malls, and interviewed on their use of prescription medicines. Results: The mean age of the participants was 28 years (S.D. 5). The nonmedical use of different prescription medicine classes over the past 12 months was as follows anti-infl ammatories and analgesics (26%), opioids (17%), antibiotics (13%), and sedatives (12%). The majority reported “use without prescription,” while “use in ways other than as prescribed” was also reported. In all cases, chemist shops were the main source of obtaining the drugs non-medically. In multivariate logistic regression analyses, non-medical use was found to be signifi cantly associated with participants’ baseline characteristics like gender, education, current employment status, and marital status. Sixty-fi ve percent stated that although “doctor’s prescription is not required for common complaints, we can decide ourselves,” while 60% stated, “it’s okay to deviate from a prescription as needed.” One hundred percent said that “using prescription medicines is more socially acceptable, and safer, compared to alcohol or illicit drugs.” Conclusion: These fi ndings underscore the need for considering various contextual factors in tailoring preventive interventions for reducing non-medical use of prescription drugs.