FARMACIA, 2019, Vol. 67, 2 337 https://doi.org/10.31925/farmacia.2019.2.20 ORIGINAL ARTICLE PREVALENCE AND THE PATTERNS OF USE OF NON-STEROIDAL ANTI-INFLAMMATORY DRUGS (NSAIDS) AND PARACETAMOL AMONG THE GENERAL POPULATION MARIA SUCIU 1# , LIANA SUCIU 1# , LAVINIA VLAIA 1 *, MIRELA VOICU 1 , VALENTINA BUDA 1 , LIANA DRĂGAN 1 , MINODORA ANDOR 2 , VICENŢIU VLAIA 1 , CARMEN CRISTESCU 1 1 ”Victor Babeş” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Eftimie Murgu Square no. 2, 300041, Timişoara, Romania 2 ” Victor Babeş” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine, Eftimie Murgu Square no. 2, 300041, Timişoara, Romania *corresponding author: vlaia.lavinia@umft.ro # Authors with equal contribution Manuscript received: December 2018 Abstract Different studies published in the last 15 years reported an increased incidence of adverse drug events, particularly on cardiovascular (CV) and cerebrovascular systems, during the consumption of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAIDs) drugs. The purposes of this study were: to identify the prevalence of the NSAIDs and paracetamol use, to analyse the use patterns of these drugs and to assess the risk to develop adverse CV effects in relation to different factors in order to improve the patients’ safety. The data contained by the self-administered questionnaires, fully completed by 735 patients, were analysed. The relationships between the use of NSAIDs and paracetamol by the CV/non-CV patients and different variables were comparatively analysed using the Windows 17.0 version of Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). The main medical reasons motivating the NSAIDs use were: joint pain (41.22%), low back pain (35.10%) and headache (8.98%). Compared to non-CV patients, those with a CV disease (60.41% of the respondents using NSAIDs) have used more frequently: diclofenac (OR: 2.674; 95% CI: 1.822 - 3.924), ketoprofen (OR: 1.711; 95% CI: 0.970 - 3.018) and indomethacin (OR: 3.814; 95% CI: 1.577 - 9.222). 64.86% of the CV patients acquired NSAIDS by self-medication. High prevalence of NSAIDs current use was observed in the case of the CV patients, presenting an increased risk to develop significant side- events in a chronic, irrational or abusive, consumption of these molecules. Rezumat Studiile publicate în ultimii 15 ani au raportat o incidenţă crescută a efectelor adverse, în special la nivelul sistemului CV şi cerebrovascular în timpul consumului de medicamente antiinflamatoare nesteroidiene (AINS-urile). Obiectivele acestui studiu au fost: identificarea prevalenţei consumului de AINS şi paracetamol, analiza modelelor de utilizare a acestor medicamente și evaluarea riscului de dezvoltare a efectelor adverse CV în relaţie cu diferiţi factori, pentru îmbunătățirea siguranței pacienților. Au fost analizate datele conţinute în chestionarele aplicate, completate integral de 735 de pacienţi. Relaţiile dintre utilizarea AINS şi paracetamol de către pacienţii CV/non-CV şi diferite variabile au fost analizate comparativ folosind Pachetul de programe statistice aplicabile ştiinţelor sociale versiunea 17.0 (SPSS). Principalele motive medicale care justifică utilizarea AINS-urilor au fost: durerile articulare (41,22%), durerile lombare (35,10%) și cefalee (8,98%). Comparativ cu pacienţii non-CV, cei CV (60,41% dintre respondenţi utilizatori de AINS) au utilizat mai frecvent : diclofenac (OR: 2,674; 95% CI: 1,822 - 3,924), ketoprofen (OR: 1,711; 95% CI: 0,970 - 3,018) şi indometacin (OR: 3,814; 95% CI: 1,577 - 9,222). 64,86% dintre pacienţii CV au achiziţionat AINS-ul ca automedicaţie. S-a observat o prevalență ridicată a consumului curent de AINS în rândul pacienţilor CV, prezentând un risc crescut de a dezvolta efecte adverse semnificative în condiţiile unui consum cronic, iraţional sau abuziv, al acestor molecule. Keywords: NSAIDs use, prevalence, patterns, chronic disease, cardiovascular risk Introduction NSAIDs are a class of drugs with the following specific characteristics: a large share for use in medical practice (to treat pain and inflammation); a wide range of adverse drug events (ADEs), particularly on gastrointestinal (GI), cardiovascular (CV) and cerebrovascular systems [27], kidney, skin and liver; an increased risk of serious interactions with other drugs when simultaneously administered [28]. Several recommendations have been developed to limit the increase these ADEs, such as to avoid prescribing these medicines in patients with known risk factors for ADEs development, such as old age, various associated co-morbidities or concomitant use with other medications [4].