Eye Drop Self-medication: Comparative Questionnaire-based Study of Two Latin American Cities

Abstract

Background: A broad spectrum of ocular symptoms are treated by self-medication with commercial eye-drops. This behavior threatens individuals' visual health. In Latin America, evidence is poor. Objective: To detect, characterize and compare patterns of ophthalmic self-medication between Córdoba (Argentina) and Barranquilla (Colombia). Design: Analytic, cross-sectional and comparative population-based study. Setting: Two private tertiary care ophthalmology centers from Córdoba, Argentina, and Barranquilla, Colombia. Participants: Patients 18 years of age or older who consulted for the first time in this two institutions during August-November 2009, were included. A number of 570 patients were enrrolled. Methods: Data collected through a semi-structured questionnaire. Main outcome measure: To determine the frequency of self-medication with eyedrops on a specific population of two cities in Latin America. Results: Comparable rates of ocular self-medication were found (25.6% and 25.7% for Cordoba and Barranquilla, respectively). The percentage of men and women who self-medicated was not significantly different between both samples. The major source of eye drops recommendation in the Argentineans patients was the pharmacist (31%); while the social source was predominant in Colombian individuals (53%). In Cordoba, the most frequently used product was a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drop in combination with a vasoconstrictive agent (32%); while in Barranquilla, antibiotic eye drops were preferred (33%). Self-medication was higher between the ages of 31 and 50 years old in Argentinean citizens (28%) and between 18 to 31 years old in the Colombian community (39%). This habit was found mostly in patients who completed university studies in Cordoba (33%); in Barranquilla, individuals with lower educational level practice more this behavior (36%). Conclusion: In both populations, patients commonly treat ocular conditions by self-medicating. Currently, an increasing number of eye drops are obtainable without prescription and a high percentage of self-medicated patients in both samples ignore the possible side effects of the used medication.