Survey of Leftover Drugs and Drug Use Behavior among Patients with Chronic Diseases in Nong Pak Long, Mueang, Nakhon Pathom

Abstract

            Leftover Drug is a problem in both individual and at the national level since it affects the patients’ health and the national financial loss. A survey of leftover drugs is a method to assess and solve the community health problems. The study of “Survey leftover drugs and drug use behavior among patients with chronic diseases in Nong Pak Long, Mueang, Nakhon Pathom” was aimed at investigating types, quantity, causes of leftover drugs for patients with chronic diseases and factors related to leftover drugs. The researchers surveyed, visited and interviewed chronic disease patients, whom Nong Pak Long Health Promotion Hospital had their patients histories, and being home during June 6 - August 24, 2011. Patient general data including diseases, types and numbers of leftover drugs were analyzed by descriptive statistics. The relationship between the perception on drug and disease and leftover drugs was analyzed by chi-square, Fisher’s exact test, odds ratio and 95% confidence interval. The results indicated that of the 155 patients recruited, 59 percent had leftover drugs. The most remnant medicine (51.22%) was hypertension drug. The study revealed that leftover drugs were not associated with the number of diseases (p-value 0.861), and the number of items in drug (p-value 0.292). On the perception of patients about drug, it was also found that there were no significant differences between the patient who had perceived and the patient who had not perceived on indications (OR 2.73 95%CI 0.91, 5.41, p-value 0.095), dosage regimen (OR 2.48 95%CI 0.77, 8.03, p-value 0.188), drug effectiveness (OR 1.07 95%CI 0.55, 2.07, p-value 0.188) and side-effects (OR 1.05 95%CI 0.35, 3.11, p-value 1.000). The main causes of leftover drugs, were forgetting to take a drug followed by adjusting the drug regimen by patient themselves. The errors were either individuals or unclear drug use counseling. To sum up, several chronic disease patients in Nong Pak Long District remained to be sources of leftover drugs especially hypertensive and diabetic patients. The leftover drug problem can be solved by changing behaviors of both patients and health professionals. Therefore, policy planning for this problem should be in place further.

Key words: leftover drugs, chronic disease