Original scientific paper
INAPPROPRIATE USE OF TOPICAL CORTICOSTEROIDES IN THE DERMATOLOGY OUTPATIENT
Ivona Lovrić
; Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Clinical Hospital Mostar, Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Ivan Tomić
; Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Clinical Hospital Mostar, Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Ivona Tomić
; Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Mostar, Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Ivan Zeljko
; Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Clinical Hospital Mostar, Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Mateo Bevanda
; Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Clinical Hospital Mostar, Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Marta Mandić
; Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Mostar, Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Sanjin Lovrić
; School of Medicine, University of Mostar, Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Dubravka Šimić
; Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Clinical Hospital Mostar, Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina ; Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Mostar, Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina ; School of Medicine, University of Mostar, Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Abstract
Introduction: Topical corticosteroids are group of drugs which have anti-immuno-suppressive, anti-proliferative
and vasoconstrictive effects and are among the most commonly prescribed medication, important and efficacious for management of
various dermatological disorders. Strict implementation of the existing regulations is the need of the hour to prevent their widespread
abuse. Aim of the study was to investigate the usage of topical corticosteroids therapy with the recipe of a doctor and without it.
Subjects and methods: The subjects were patients who visited Pharmacies in Mostar from April to July 2020 and were buying
topical corticosteroids with or without a recipe or medical report from the doctor. 80 subjects completed a questionnaire themselves
included: the way of buying a topical corticosteroids, the information about using topical corticosteroids earlier, the information
about subject's visits to the doctor; the length of time using topical corticosteroids, the type of topical corticosteroids used, the part of
body the topical corticosteroids was applied on.
Results: A total of 80 subjects were treated in the observed period, 58.8% were female. 72.5% subjects had already used local
corticosteroids, 62.50% purchased the drug at the recommendation of the pharmacist, 66.30% had no recent diagnosis or no
diagnosed disease at all, 21.25% used the drug for more than a month, the most often purchased one was moderate potent local
corticosteroid Betamethasone diproprionate 0.05 %. Most commonly subjects applied local corticosteroids on arms (50%).
Conclusion: Strict regulations regarding only prescription-based dispensing of local corticosteroids must be put into practice.
This will hopefully bring down both the extremes of ever increasing cases of steroid-induced dermatoses in everyday dermatology
practise on one hand and the irrational fears of using TCs in well justified indications on the other.
Keywords
topical corticosteroids; outpatient dermatology; recipe, improper use of topical corticosteroids
Hrčak ID:
266987
URI
Publication date:
4.10.2021.
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