• Proceedings of the PSK Conference
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• 2002.10a
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• pp.297.1-297.1
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• 2002

Immunoassays are frequently used for an screening method to detect the presence of drugs in Urine. The main advantages of the method are well known -- simplicity of handling samples. rapidity. sensitivity. and specificity of analysis. However. it is also known that immunoassays exhibit cross-reactivity to related drugs and there are only limited specific immunoassays on the market. This study reports on the ability of TDx to detect urine samples obtained from suspects of taking over-the-counter medications and illegal drugs containing ATS. designer drugs. (omitted)

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.56 no.5
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• pp.333-345
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• 2012

A product labelling is one of key tools in ensuring that a patient uses drugs safely and effectively in self-care without professional support. This study aimed to explore the readability and comprehensibility of the information contained on two package inserts of medicines. Two package inserts were tested with first year college students. Fifty-one potential consumers underlined words they could not understand and answered 10 scenario questions. Any differences among groups with different characteristics were statistically tested. Secondly, the readability of two package inserts was assessed with comparison to the level of the 6th grade Korean textbooks. As results, more than 80% of participants properly replied to straightforward questions concerning indication, dosage, duplication, use in pregnancy and contraindication, and 73% about formulation. Less than half answered correctly in multiple choice questions about pediatric use (41%) and side effects (35%). Little discrepancy was observed in the comprehensibility between participants' characteristics. Drug inserts contained about 20% more professional-level words than 6th grade textbooks. In conclusion, Korean consumers may face challenges to understand drug information due to professional terminology and outdated expressions in the current package inserts. To secure safe and effective use of over-the-counter agents, greater efforts should be made to develop more consumer friendly labels. In the other hand, educational supports are required to prepare consumers in a proper level of knowledge for the safe use of drugs.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.205-210
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• 2021

Over 30 million prescriptions of NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) are issued every year. Considering that these drugs are available without a prescription as over the counter (OTC) drugs, their use will be astronomical. With the increasing use of NSAIDs, their adverse effects are drawing attention. Especially, stomach bleeding, kidney toxicity, liver toxicity, and neurological toxicity are reported as common. Ibuprofen, one of the extensively used NSAIDs along with aspirin, can also induce liver toxicity, but few studies are addressing this point. Here we examined the liver toxicity of ibuprofen and investigated whether co-exposure to ethanol can manifest synergistic effects. We employed 2D and 3D cultured human hepatoma cells, HepG2 to examine the synergistic hepatotoxicity of ibuprofen and alcohol concerning cell viability, morphology, and histology of 3D spheroids. As a result, ibuprofen and alcohol provoked synergistic hepatotoxicity against hepatocytes, and their toxicity increased prominently in 3D culture upon extended exposure. Oxidative stress appeared to be the mechanisms underlying the synergistic toxicity of ibuprofen and alcohol as evidenced by increased production of ROS and expression of the endogenous antioxidant system. Collectively, this study has demonstrated that ibuprofen and EtOH can induce synergistic hepatotoxicity, providing a line of evidence for caution against the use of ibuprofen in combination with alcohol.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.364-371
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• 2014

The purpose of this study was to estimate usage of vitamin and mineral supplements as over-the-counter (VM-OTC) drugs as well as examine factors associated with VM-OTC usage in Korean adolescents. A total of 1,407 adolescents attending middle or high school in all parts of country were included in the analysis. Prevalence of VM-OTC usage was 56.1%, and it was higher as monthly income, father's education level, and socioeconomic status of family increased (p<0.001). VM-OTC intake was higher in middle school students than in high school students as well as in rural areas or small & mediumsized city residents than big city residents (p<0.01). Subjects mainly received information on VM-OTC mainly from 'family and relatives' (46.6%), whereas only 20.3% received information from experts. Subjects took VM-OTC 'when they are healthy' (49.1%), 'when they feel sick' (17.7%), 'when they are on a diet' (17.3%), and 'when they are stressful' (15.9%). The effectiveness of taking VM-OTC were mainly 'fatigue recovery' (35.0%), 'health improvement' (30.6%), and 'nutritional status improvement' (13.2%). The most frequently used VM-OTC was vitamin C (49.1%), multi-vitamins (18.6%), multi vitamins & minerals (13.2%), and calcium (9.2%). Among VM-OTC users, only 21.9% replied that they usually check the nutrition facts when they buy products, 62.4% follow the recommended dosage, and 9.7% fully understand the nutrition labels of the products. According to logistic regression analysis, the most influential factor affecting VM-OTC use was parents' and siblings' VM-OTC consumption (p<0.001). In addition, school type (middle or high school) (p<0.01), residence (p<0.05), self-concerns about health (p<0.05), father's education level (p<0.05), and socioeconomic status of family (p<0.05) all influenced VM-OTC use. These results show that VM-OTC use is widespread among adolescents, few users actually check and fully understand the nutrition labels when they purchase VM-OTC, and they are highly dependent on unprofessional advice and information. Therefore, it is necessary to educate adolescents to help them select proper VM-OTC and read nutrition labels.

• Anxiety and mood
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.41-45
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• 2007

Objective : The present study investigates patterns of consumption of alcohol, cigarettes, and over the counter drugs (OTC) in Korean patients with PTSD and psychiatric patient controls and healthy controls from multicenter hospital samples. Method : Data were collected from 18 hospitals nationwide. Patients with PTSD were compared with nonpsychotic psychiatric disorders control and healthy control subjects on psychometric measures of consumption of alcohol, cigarettes, and OTC drugs. Result : Ninety-three patients with PTSD, 73 patients with psychiatric disorders control, and 88 healthy control subjects were enrolled. There were significant differences in the frequency of alcohol drinking among the three groups ($X^2$=12.93, df=6, p=0.044). Only 3.2% of healthy control subjects drank alcohol more than 4 times a week, but 43.9% of PTSD group and 46.5% of mental disorder controls drank alcohol more than 4 times a week, respectively. Regarding cigarette smoking, there were no differences among the three groups. There were significant differences in uses of OTC drugs among the three groups; 16.7 % in the PTSD group, 14.9% in the psychiatric control group and 1.3% in the heath control group, respectively ($X^2$=11.31, df=2, p=0.004). Conclusion : In this study, patients with PTSD showed significant differences in the frequency of consumption of alcohol and OTC drugs, as compared with healthy controls. However, there were no differences between the PTSD and psychiatric patient control groups. Since all subjects were enrolled from hospital based sample, results may differ in the community samples. Further studies will be needed for the evaluation of substance uses in these groups.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.217-222
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• 2010

Resveratrol is a natural polyphenolic compound frequently found in grapes. The biological actions of resveratrol have been extensively investigated both in vitro and in vivo. The interactions of resveratrol with commonly-consumed drugs, however, have rarely been studied. In this study, the cytotoxic properties of resveratrol on the hepatic and intestinal cells in the presence of over-the-counter (OTC) drugs, including acetaminophen (AAP), aspirin (Asp), and ibuprofen (Ibu), were evaluated. The cytotoxic effects of resveratrol on hepatic HepG2 and colonic HCT 116 cells were not markdely changed in the presence of AAP, Asp, or Ibu. Conversely, the cytotoxicity of OTC drugs was not affected by resveratrol either. Concentrations of resveratrol below 10 mM significantly increased HepG2 cell growth after 48 or 72 hr incubation; however, the growth-stimulating effect was not observed in the presence of AAP. When HCT 116 cells were treated with OTC drugs before or after resveratrol, the cytotoxic effects were not significantly altered. The present study provides basic information for the potential health effects of the interactions between resveratrol and commonly-consumed OTC drugs.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Clinical Toxicology
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.141-148
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• 2018

Purpose: The Korean government approved selected nonprescription drugs (Over-The-Counter drug; OTC drug) to be distributed in convenience stores from 15. Nov. 2012. This study examined the changes in the incidence and the clinical outcome of acute pharmaceutical drug poisoning after the deregulation of OTC drug sales. Methods: This study analyzed the data of Emergency Department based Injury In-depth Injury Surveillance (EDIIS), Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, from 2011 to 2014. The following items were examined: age, gender, intention, alcohol association, pharmaceutical drugs resulting acute poisoning, the clinical outcomes in emergency department, and the admission rate of intensive care unit (ICU). This is a retrospective cross section observational study. Results: A total of 10,162 patients were subject to pharmaceutical drug poisoning. Acute poisoning by acetaminophen and other drugs were 1,015 (10.0%) and 9,147 (90.0%) patients, respectively. After the deregulation of OTC drug sales, acute poisoning by other drugs increased from 4,385 to 4,762 patients but acute poisoning by acetaminophen decreased from 538 to 477 patients (p<0.05). The rate of admission of acetaminophen poisoning increased from 36.1% (194/538) to 46.8% (223/477). The admission rate to the ICU by acetaminophen poisoning increased from 4.6% (25/538) to 11.3% (54/477) after the deregulation of OTC drug sales (p<0.05). Conclusion: Since the deregulation of OTC drugs sales, pharmaceutical drug poisoning has increased but acetaminophen poisoning has decreased. The rate of hospitalization and ICU admission by pharmaceutical drug poisoning with or without acetaminophen has also increased.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.117-125
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• 2010

We surveyed 821 children (ages 12-15 y) in Daejeon city and Cunngcheong province, Korea for their use of vitamin mineral supplements (VMS), either over-the-counter drugs and/or health functional foods (HFF). We also considered the significant variables of VMS use, including demographic characteristics, health-related variables, eating habits and nutritional beliefs of VMS by subjects. The frequency of VMS use was 24.8% and, in comparison to counterparts, it was higher in subjects attending middle school (p<0.001), in those living in a large city (p<0.001), in those with a high monthly family income (p<0.05), and in those with high concerns about school performance by parents (p<0.01). Selfhealth concerns by subjects (p<0.05) and concerns about health of offspring by parents (p<0.01) were higher in users than in nonusers. Eating habits of subjects did not affect the use of VMS. Users had a more positive view concerning the potential health benefits of VMS than did nonusers (p<0.05). Most users took VMS when they were healthy (78.9%) and expected 'disease prevention and health maintenance' (44.6%). However, most users did not feel any special effects from VMS use (58.8%), and they got their information on VMS through family and relatives (53.9%). Users of VMS preferred vitamin C supplements (44.2%) and Ca-supplements (56.9%). Therefore, the results show that VMS use is widely spread among the subjects, and that use of VMS is influenced by multiple variables and subjective criteria. Therefore, practical guidelines on VMS use for children's health and growth should be given through nutritional education.

• International Journal of Human Ecology
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.1-12
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• 2011

Many pharmaceutical products are available through prescription (Rx) only status. As a result, access to physicians and insurance coverage play a key role in the use of these products, and therefore may affect the population to whom advertising is targeted at. The movement of pharmaceutical products from prescription (Rx) to Over-the-Counter (OTC), or Rx-to-OTC switch changes the cost of acquiring the drug and therefore may change the incentives manufacturers have at targeting particular population segments. This study examines whether Rx-to-OTC switch changes the frequency and the distribution of who is exposed to pharmaceutical advertising. Using an archive of pharmaceutical advertisements and National Consumer Survey, this study examines how individuals with particular demographic characteristics are exposed to pharmaceutical advertisements before and after drugs are moved from Rx to OTC. The results provide evidence that individual's advertising exposure increases after Rx-to-OTC switch. Moreover, the increase in advertising exposure is greater for the low socioeconomic status (SES) consumers which implies they may get more information about the disease, treatment and product after the Rx-to-OTC switch through advertising. If low SES consumers have more exposure to the advertising after products switched to OTC, then FDA policies regulating this switch should recognize the potential role of advertising providing access to health-related information.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.263-272
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• 2018

Nonprescription drugs have become increasingly important in Korean healthcare. By leveraging lower-cost drugs and reducing expenditure associated with fewer physician visits, the nonprescription segment can deliver tremendous value to individual consumers and the Korean healthcare system. Many countries have provided simpler and more rapid routes to market entry for qualifying nonprescription drug products, using the established data on drug safety and efficacy, as well as public and professional opinion. In US, the FDA waived the pre-approval process for over-the-counter (OTC) drugs marketed through the OTC Monograph Process. In Australia and Canada, different OTC product application levels are defined, with a reduced level of assessment required when the risks to consumers are considered low. Japan established a new OTC evaluation system in 2014 to facilitate the Rx-to-OTC switch process. The legislative framework for medicinal products in the European Union allows for drugs to be approved with reference to appropriate bibliographic data for old active substances with well-established uses. Through a comparison of the regulatory framework and the requirements for nonprescription approval process in different countries, several ways to improve regulatory practice for the evaluation of nonprescription drugs in Korea have been suggested.