Table 1.

Strategies to Reduce the Abuse and Misuse of OTC Medicines During Pandemics.

Strategies	Reducing the abuse of OTC medicines	Reducing the misuse of OTC medicines
Activating and updating pharmacovigilance systems	√	√
Appropriate relocation of resources and personnel	√	√
Open and maintain communication channels between healthcare providers and patients	√	√
Using social media on a large scale to fight misinformation and rumors	√	√
Integrate mental health services into health preparedness plans	√	√
Education of patients on the appropriate use of OTC medicines	√	√
Ensuring the mental health facilities remain open during pandemics	√	√
Implementation of early warning systems in community and hospital pharmacies	√	×
Reasonable restrictions on the online dispensing of OTC medicines	√	×
Training healthcare professionals on identifying the abuse of OTC medicine	√	×
Legislation permitting a pharmacist to examine the history of mental problems of individuals with suspicious behaviors before dispensing OTC medicines	√	×
Awareness-raising campaigns on the consequences of OTC medicine abuse	√	×