Situation on the Use of Thai brand-name Medications among People of Lao People’s Democratic Republic at Chong Mek Border Community in Ubon Ratchathani Province - สถานการณ์การใช้ยาทีมีชื่อการค้าเป็นอักษรไทยของ ประชาชนสาธารณรัฐประชาธิปไตยประชาชนลาว เขตช่องเม็ก จังหวัดอุบลราชธานี

บทคัดย่อ

             The objective of this study was to assess the situations of the use of Thai brand-name drugs among people of Lao People’s Democratic Republic in Chong Mek border area. It was conducted as a survey research using questionnaires; and data were collected through interviews with a pharmacist at a Thai drugstore, 80 Lao people, and a pharmacist at a Lao’s drug store during 10-15 December 2013. A survay was also conducted to locate Lao drug stores in the study area. The data were analyzed by using
descriptive statistics. It was found that the majority of the samples used to use Thai brand-name drugs (77.5 percent). Twenty two of the samples had underlying diseases. Most of them (95.2 percent) used Thai brand-name drugs; whereas 42 of 58 (72.4 percent) of Lao people who did not have any underlying disease used Thai drugs for their last illness. Most of them believed that Thai drugs were efficient. Moreover, it was easy to find them in Lao People’s Democratic Republic. Majority of the samples (97.5 percent) knew the brand-named of Thai drugs from drugstores in Thailand, advertisment on Thai television, and advertisment on Thai radio stations (25.9 percent, 21.4 percent, and 20.0 percent, respectively). Furthermore, the pharmacist of the Thai drugstore indicated that each day there were approximately 25 customers from Lao People’s Democratic Republic. In addition, the mainly drugs sold were nonprescription drugs which the pharmacist would choose Thai drugs because he believed that they were
more reliable, and the packaging was better. It was also found that Lao people in the study area preferred to buy Thai drugs and some of them used Thai health care services. Therefore, both government and private health care organizations should be well aware and be prepared for the need of care of the Lao people. In addition, if the health care organizations use appropriate advertising, the Lao people may buy more Thai drugs or use more health care services which will increase income of both the health care organizations and the country as well.

Key words: drug use, Thai brand-name drug, people of Lao People’s Democratic Republic