DOI: 10.36347/sajp

Pages: 34-43

The prevalence of use of analgesics is high. The main stay of treatment of pains is the Non-steroidal Antiinflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs). The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence and pattern of use of NSAIDs. 254 questionnaires were administered randomly to respondents that consented after carefully explaining the objective of the study. There were more females (61%); 89.4% were aged 18-45 years; 61% had secondary education; 56.3% were artisans of various trades; 96.5% were Christians. Majority (76.8%) had annual incomes of Naira100, 000-500,000. All respondents had ever taken pain relievers; Ibuprofen was used most frequently (49.2%), followed by diclofenac potassium (46.5%) and acetaminophen (41.7%).Respondents sometimes used pain relievers to manage headache (79.5%), general body pains (72.4%);body weakness (64.6%), stomach pains (63%); 71.7% ever indulged in multi-drug therapies involving more than one pain killer. Half the respondents preferred their choice of pain killer based on effectiveness; 99.2% and 90.2% respectively followed the instructions of the chemist and health professionals. Respondents reported that high cost of pain killers (72.8%), out-of-stock syndrome for preferred brands (58.0%), noneeffectiveness (57.6%) and the distance to procure the medication (54.3%) sometimes stood as barriers to access to pain killers;61% spent N 501-2000 monthly on pain killers. Education and marital status were correlated with pattern of use; gender, age, marital and educational status were all correlated with use of combination pain killers. There is urgent need to educate the people in this community on the rational use of pain drugs.