Assistant professor, Department of Pharmacy Practice, K.L.R Pharmacy College, Paloncha, Bhadradri Kothagudem, Telangana, India

Department of Pharmacy Practice, K.L.R Pharmacy College, Paloncha, Bhadradri Kothagudem, Telangana, India

Department of Pharmacy Practice, K.L.R Pharmacy College, Paloncha, Bhadradri Kothagudem, Telangana, India

Department of Pharmacy Practice, K.L.R Pharmacy College, Paloncha, Bhadradri Kothagudem, Telangana, India

Department of Pharmacy Practice, K.L.R Pharmacy College, Paloncha, Bhadradri Kothagudem, Telangana, India

Department of Pharmacy Practice, K.L.R Pharmacy College, Paloncha, Bhadradri Kothagudem, Telangana, India
Over-the-counter drugs ,Self-medication ,Self-medication ,Adverse drug reactionsandPublic health education ,

It is an observational research done to explore the trends, reasons, and dangers of using over-the-counter (OTC) medicines in pharmacy stores in Palwancha, Telangana. Cross-sectional survey of 225 consumers and interview of 100 pharmacists were employed to evaluate the trends in self-medication and pharmacist role. The most common OTC drugs that were bought included analgesics, antipyretics and antibiotics which were mostly bought without prescriptions. Affordability, accessibility, and previous experience were major reasons associated with self-medication. Worryingly, the knowledge of drug side effects was scanty and 31.1 percent of the users experienced adverse drug reactions. The counseling by pharmacists was observed to be irregular whereby only half of them (45 percent) gave complete guidance. The statistical result showed a great relationship between the purchase frequency and the level of awareness. In light of the findings, it is imperative that more stringent regulatory oversight, mass education on health matters, and the obligatory pharmacist-based counseling be put in place in reducing the potential abuse and the safe use of OTC drugs

15 , 1 , 2025