Perception and Practice towards the usage of Paracetamol among outpatients of General Medicine Department

INTRODUCTION

Paracetamol is a weak analgesic that is widely preferred for its effectiveness, low occurrence of adverse effects, and higher level of tolerance among the patients.However, self-medication with paracetamol, is effective and safe only if the consumers are knowledgeable about various aspects pertaining to the medication such as its intended use and profile of adverse effects associated with the drug.A lack of awareness while using OTC medicines can lead to poor user behaviors and health risks connected with medication misuse, such as undesirable side effects and allergic responses, drug interactions, and even overdose

OBJECTIVE

To design, validate, translate and test the reliability of questionnaire on perception and practice towards the usage of paracetamol.To assess the perception and practice of outpatients of general medicine department towards the usage of paracetamol.To compare the perception and practices towards the usage of paracetamol on the basis of socio-demographic characteristics.To find out the correlation between perception and practice towards the usage of paracetamol.

NEED FOR THE STUDY

Studying the perceptions and practices of the public regarding the usage of paracetamol is essential because of its widespread availability and frequent use, which may lead to misconceptions or improper practices. Identifying any gaps in knowledge or misconceptions can help tailor educational campaigns to address these issues, ensuring that individuals use paracetamol safely and effectively.

METHODOLOGY

Questionnaire on Perception and Practice towards the use of paracetamol will be created, validated, translated and then will be sujected to test-retest reliability. Outpatients of general medicine department of Justice K.S Hegde Charitable Hospital who had consumed paracetamol in the last 12 months with or without prescription and are willing to participate in the study will be enrolled. Details of the subjects including their socio-demographic parameters will be obtained and recorded in a data collection form. The previously validated Perception and Practice Questionnaire will be administered to the subjects to obtain their responses recorded in it.

STATISTICAL ANALYSIS

Data analysis was performed using SPSS 29.0 at 95% confidence level.Categorical variables will be presented as frequency and percentage.Continuous variables will be presented as mean ± standard deviation.Perception and practice towards the usage of paracetamol will be expressed as mean ± standard deviation.Comparison of perception and practice on the basis of the socio-demographic variables will be analysed using Independent t-test/ ANOVA.Correlation of perception and practice will be analysed using Karl Pearson’scoefficient of correlation/Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient.Cronbach’s alpha value greater than 0.70 will be considered acceptable, on testing the questionnaire for reliability.A p value <0.05 will be considered statistically significant.

OUTCOME MEASURES

This study will help to determine the perception and practice towards the usage of paracetamol. Assessment of perception and practice is critical in deciding the level of educational intervention to be initiated among the subjects so as to enhance their understanding and behaviour regarding the drug.