Skip to main content

Table 3 Prevalence of use of CAM and OTC medicines

From: Self-medication with over-the-counter drugs and complementary medications in South Australia's elderly population

  

1992-1993

1994-1995

2000-2001

2003-2004

  

Wave 1

N = 2087

Wave 3

N = 1679

Wave 6

N = 791

Wave 7

N = 487

 

Classes of CAM/OTC

N

%

N

%

N

%

N

%

CAM

Vitamins & minerals

113

5.4

155

9.2

53

6.7

68

14.0

 

Herbal medicines

50

2.4

69

4.1

23

2.9

27

5.5

 

Nutritional supplements

34

1.6

54

3.2

26

3.3

37

7.6

 

Homeopathic medicines

4

0.2

5

0.3

0

0.0

1

0.2

 

Probiotics

3

0.1

4

0.2

0

0.0

0

0.0

 

Combination products

43

2.1

49

2.9

9

1.1

25

5.1

OTC

Analgesics

112

5.4

127

7.6

44

5.6

43

8.8

 

Laxatives

89

4.3

76

4.5

16

2.0

25

5.1

 

Antithrombotic agents

34

1.6

43

2.6

17

2.1

10

2.1

 

Antacids

19

0.9

14

0.8

1

0.1

6

1.2

 

Cough & cold preps

16

0.8

18

1.1

0

0.0

5

1.0

 

Antihistamines

7

0.3

4

0.2

2

0.3

1

0.2

 

Dermatologicals

3

0.1

4

0.2

1

0.1

0

0.0

 

Throat preparations

4

0.2

0

0.0

0

0.0

0

0.0

 

Nasal preparations

2

0.1

5

0.3

0

0.0

0

0.0

 

Antidiarrhoeals

2

0.1

1

0.1

0

0.0

0

0.0

 

Other1

11

0.5

16

1.0

4

0.5

4

0.8

 

Unknown2

11

0.5

10

0.6

3

0.4

12

2.5

  1. The percentages show the proportions of participants reporting to use at least one of the classes of CAM or OTC medicines
  2. 1 Other CAM and OTC classes that were less commonly reported
  3. 2 Non-prescription medicines of unknown ingredients that could not be classified