The Use of Non-Prescription Medicines, Vitamins and Nutritional Supplements in Latvia. Summary of the Doctoral Thesis

Abstract

Consumption of medicines in Latvia increases every year. Widespread availability of non-prescription medicines, vitamins and nutritional supplements changes individuals from patients into consumers and also promotes for false perceptions – a tendency to think that no risk is associated with the use of these products. Using non-prescription products, consumers often do not consult medical experts, and users’ behaviour is influenced by other information sources and different social factors. Recommendations of WHO suggest that each territory may possess distinctive patterns and determinants of medicines’ and other pharmaceutical products’ use. Identifying the regionally-specific situation may help elaborate programmes promoting for rational use of medicines and other non-prescription products. Like in other countries, public health programmes in Latvia enclose the concept “rational use of medicines”. This concept is multidimensional; for individuals the “rationality” of taking medicines and remedies is based on the (re)interpretation of their value to the consumer – perceived efficiency and necessity of these medicines, and this perception is influenced by cultural and socio-economic factors. The theoretical part of the thesis encloses examination of user’s behaviour from different perspectives – mutual impact of the agency and the structure and also linkage between the individual and the system. The influence of the structure manifests itself in individuals’ different lifestyle patterns – both health lifestyle and also consumer’s characteristics. The Theory of the Communicative Action by J. Habermas is the basis for characterizing linkage between individual and system. Empirical study examines the impact and association between the use of non-prescription products and a number of factors, derived out of the analysis of the theoretical literature and empirical research evidence. The impact of the factors on the use of non-prescription medicines and products and association between the variables are identified with a help of quantitative research methods. The study particularly focuses on the rationality of a user – individual’s perceptions regarding efficiency, properties, necessity and significance of medicines and also the impact of this subjective rationality on the use of non-prescription products.