Table 4.
Most frequently reported advice concerning management of or protection against adverse drug reactions from non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
| No. of community pharmacists (%) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Advice on management | Regularly | Occasionally | Total |
| For non-selective NSAIDs a | |||
| Taking NSAIDs after meal | 115 (83.3) | 23 (16.7) | 138 (94.5) |
| Using with gastroprotective agents | 82 (83.7) | 16 (16.3) | 98 (67.1) |
| Switching to selective COX-2 NSAIDs | 75 (82.4) | 16 (17.6) | 91 (62.3) |
| Switching to other painkillers | 68 (86.1) | 11 (13.9) | 79 (54.1) |
| Stop taking NSAIDs | 33 (80.5) | 8 (19.5) | 41 (28.1) |
| For selective COX-2 NSAIDs b | |||
| Switching to other painkillers | 63 (66.3) | 32 (33.7) | 95 (67.4) |
| Using gastroprotective agents | 45 (61.6) | 28 (38.4) | 73 (51.8) |
| Consult with physicians | 45 (66.2) | 23 (33.8) | 68 (48.2) |
| Stop taking NSAIDs | 32 (68.1) | 15 (31.9) | 47 (33.3) |
| Dose reduction | 20 (66.7) | 10 (33.3) | 30 (21.3) |
NSAID=non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs; GI=gastrointestinal; COX=cyclooxygenase.
a
The question was answered by 146 community pharmacists.
b
The question was answered by 141 community pharmacists.