Use of medication after consultation, by country
| Groups of medication a | Belgium, n = 327 | England, n = 196 | France, n = 30 | Germany, n = 171 | Italy, n = 43 | The Netherlands, n = 277 | Poland, n = 506 | Slovakia, n = 130 | Slovenia, n = 69 | Spain, n = 492 | Sweden, n = 92 | Wales, n = 197 | Observational, n = 847 | Trial, n = 1683 | Total, n = 2530 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Antibiotics, %b | |||||||||||||||
| Self-medicated | 1.8 | 3.1 | 0.0 | 1.2 | 0.0 | 1.4 | 0.2 | 0.8 | 1.4 | 1.0 | 1.1 | 2.0 | 1.9 | 0.9 | 1.2 |
| Antitussives, % | |||||||||||||||
| Prescribed | 28.1 | 1.0 | 26.7 | 18.7 | 11.6 | 34.3 | 6.9 | 16.9 | 5.8 | 22.8 | 34.8 | 1.0 | 15.8 | 18.2 | 17.4 |
| Self-medicated | 10.4 | 5.1 | 10.0 | 2.9 | 7.0 | 5.4 | 7.5 | 6.2 | 8.7 | 1.4 | 4.3 | 2.0 | 4.3 | 6.0 | 5.4 |
| Expectorants, % | |||||||||||||||
| Prescribed | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 2.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2.8 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 14.1 | 0.0 | 1.1 | 1.5 | 1.3 |
| Self-medicated | 0.0 | 5.6 | 0.0 | 3.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2.2 | 3.0 | 1.3 | 1.0 | 1.1 |
| Mucolytics, % | |||||||||||||||
| Prescribed | 19.6 | 0.0 | 23.3 | 4.1 | 27.9 | 2.5 | 24.7 | 39.2 | 0.0 | 33.5 | 13.0 | 0.0 | 14.8 | 19.3 | 17.8 |
| Self-medicated | 6.1 | 0.0 | 3.3 | 9.4 | 14.0 | 7.2 | 9.7 | 10.8 | 4.3 | 2.6 | 8.7 | 0.0 | 4.5 | 6.7 | 5.9 |
| Antihistamines, %c | |||||||||||||||
| Prescribed | 10.4 | 0.5 | 26.7 | 1.8 | 0.0 | 5.4 | 7.1 | 43.8 | 0.0 | 6.7 | 2.2 | 1.5 | 5.5 | 8.6 | 7.6 |
| Self-medicated | 3.7 | 7.7 | 0.0 | 0.6 | 0.0 | 2.5 | 3.8 | 1.5 | 1.4 | 0.8 | 1.1 | 5.6 | 1.9 | 3.4 | 2.9 |
| Inhaled bronchodilators, % | |||||||||||||||
| Prescribed | 22.9 | 14.8 | 10.0 | 9.4 | 2.3 | 15.2 | 8.1 | 16.9 | 1.4 | 23.2 | 10.9 | 8.1 | 17.6 | 13.1 | 14.6 |
| Self-medicated | 3.7 | 1.5 | 3.3 | 0.6 | 0.0 | 1.1 | 0.2 | 2.3 | 0.0 | 2.2 | 1.1 | 1.5 | 1.8 | 1.4 | 1.5 |
| Inhaled corticosteroids, % | |||||||||||||||
| Prescribed | 15.3 | 7.7 | 26.7 | 6.4 | 7.0 | 5.8 | 9.5 | 22.3 | 2.9 | 10.4 | 7.6 | 2.0 | 10.7 | 9.1 | 9.6 |
| Self-medicated | 2.4 | 2.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 4.7 | 0.7 | 1.8 | 8.5 | 0.0 | 0.8 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 2.1 | 1.5 | 1.7 |
| Salicylic acid and derivatives, % | |||||||||||||||
| Prescribed | 0.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 0.2 |
| Self-medicated | 1.8 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 2.3 | 2.3 | 0.4 | 2.2 | 0.0 | 2.9 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 1.1 |
| Paracetamol, %d | |||||||||||||||
| Prescribed | 4.6 | 2.0 | 26.7 | 0.6 | 0.0 | 0.4 | 0.8 | 6.9 | 4.3 | 20.7 | 1.1 | 1.0 | 8.1 | 4.8 | 5.9 |
| Self-medicated | 9.5 | 19.9 | 10.0 | 2.9 | 2.3 | 8.3 | 1.8 | 3.8 | 11.6 | 2.4 | 7.6 | 9.6 | 5.8 | 6.7 | 6.4 |
| NSAIDs, % | |||||||||||||||
| Prescribed | 0.9 | 2.0 | 13.3 | 0.6 | 0.0 | 0.7 | 4.2 | 2.3 | 1.4 | 13.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 3.4 | 4.5 | 4.2 |
| Self-medicated | 1.5 | 9.7 | 0.0 | 1.2 | 2.3 | 2.2 | 4.2 | 2.3 | 1.4 | 1.4 | 2.2 | 2.0 | 2.5 | 3.0 | 2.8 |
| Overall | |||||||||||||||
| Any self-medication, %e | 28.7 | 37.2 | 20.0 | 18.1 | 18.6 | 22.4 | 22.3 | 26.2 | 26.1 | 10.0 | 18.5 | 20.3 | 19.4 | 22.6 | 21.5 |
↵a Positive if a patient used at least one drug from the group of medication. NSAIDs = non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Self-medicated = used without prescription of a physician. Common examples of each medication group can be found in Appendix 1.
↵b Prescribed antibiotic use is not displayed because the patients participating in the RCT received few additional antibiotics next to the trial medication (amoxicillin or placebo).
↵c Including antihistamine–decongestant combinations or antihistamines.
↵d Including paracetamol and paracetamol combinations excluding psycholeptics.
↵e Positive if a patient used at least one drug from one of the above-stated groups as self-medication.