Self-medication before consultation, by country
| Medication | 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 | Total, n = 2530 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Groups of medicationa | |||||||||||||
| Antibiotics, % | 2.8 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.6 | 25.6 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2.4 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 1.4 |
| Antitussives, % | 18.3 | 15.8 | 33.3 | 13.5 | 9.3 | 15.2 | 20.9 | 6.9 | 20.3 | 12.8 | 19.6 | 4.6 | 15.4 |
| Expectorants, % | 0.3 | 13.8 | 0.0 | 15.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.2 | 1.5 | 1.4 | 1.8 | 3.3 | 5.6 | 3.4 |
| Mucolytics, % | 18.7 | 0.0 | 13.3 | 25.7 | 25.6 | 20.6 | 14.6 | 13.1 | 7.2 | 14.6 | 30.4 | 0.0 | 14.7 |
| Antihistaminesb, % | 3.1 | 18.4 | 6.7 | 0.6 | 0.0 | 5.4 | 11.5 | 0.0 | 7.2 | 4.7 | 4.3 | 12.2 | 7.0 |
| Inhaled bronchodilators, % | 3.1 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 4.3 | 0.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 4.9 | 3.3 | 0.5 | 2.2 |
| Inhaled corticosteroids, % | 2.4 | 0.5 | 3.3 | 0.6 | 2.3 | 1.4 | 5.7 | 10.8 | 0.0 | 1.8 | 3.3 | 1.0 | 2.9 |
| Salicylic acid and derivatives, % | 3.7 | 1.5 | 6.7 | 5.8 | 9.3 | 1.4 | 18.6 | 0.0 | 5.8 | 4.5 | 3.3 | 1.5 | 6.4 |
| Paracetamolc, % | 23.9 | 29.6 | 43.3 | 7.6 | 11.6 | 36.1 | 7.3 | 4.6 | 47.8 | 23.2 | 34.8 | 24.9 | 21.3 |
| Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), % | 2.8 | 9.2 | 6.7 | 2.9 | 0.0 | 6.1 | 9.7 | 2.3 | 4.3 | 14.2 | 15.2 | 3.0 | 7.7 |
| Overall | |||||||||||||
| Any self-medicationd, % | 53.8 | 60.7 | 70.0 | 49.1 | 53.5 | 59.2 | 59.1 | 32.3 | 65.2 | 57.5 | 70.7 | 41.1 | 55.4 |
↵a Positive if a patient used at least one drug from the group of medication.
↵b Including antihistamine–decongestant combinations or antihistamines.
↵c Including paracetamol and paracetamol combinations excluding psycholeptics.
↵d Positive if a patient used at least one drug from one of the above-stated groups as self-medication