Skip to main content

Table 2 COTC-related perceptions and preventive practices among users (n=789)

From: Acute adverse events from over-the-counter Chinese herbal medicines: a population-based survey of Hong Kong Chinese

 

Response choices

 

Agree

Not sure

Disagree

Perceived benefits

   

 At least as effective as western drugs

31.9%

22.8%

45.2%

 Less side effects than western drug

69.1%

15.7%

15.2%

 Cheaper than western drug

37.4%

18.8%

43.9%

 Help reduce medical costs

42.1%

17.9%

39.9%

 Safer than western drugs

39.4%

21.3%

39.3%

 Helps people to stay healthy

54.9%

21.4%

23.6%

Perceived severity

   

 COTC poisoning is more serious than for western drugs*

34.2%

42.7%

22.9%

 COTC poisoning due to drug interaction could be fatal

82.8%

12.0%

5.2%

 COTC overdose could result in hospitalization

87.5%

7.7%

4.8%

Perceived susceptibility

   

 Easy to misuse COTC due to unclear instruction

33.8%

5.9%

60.4%

 I am likely to experience COTC-related side effects

9.9%

8.4%

81.7%

 I am likely to experience drug interactions with COTC

37.6%

24.8%

37.6%

 Government has adequate regulation for COTC safety*

15.0%

20.6%

64.5%

Perceived barriers

   

 Making TCM doctor appointments for COTC advice is inconvenient

27.2%

31.7%

41.1%

 TCM prescriptions are expensive

36.9%

25.5%

37.6%

 Easy to find COTC information on the internet

16.2%

62.4%

21.4%

 Physicians do not have reliable knowledge about COTC

71.8%

16.9%

11.3%

 Pharmacists do not have reliable COTC knowledge

65.3%

17.8%

16.9%

 COTC package instructions are inadequate or unclear

42.9%

18.1%

39.0%

Preventive practices**

Habitually

Occasionally

Never

 Read COTC labels

66.8%

24.0%

9.3%

 Read COTC package inserts

55.9%

32.0%

12.2%

 Ask COTC information from retailers

13.2%

35.7%

51.1%

 Search online for COTC information

3.9%

15.6%

80.5%

 Ask Western MDs or pharmacists about COTC use

3.3%

12.6%

84.2%

 Tell their medical doctor about TCM use

33.2%

20.6%

46.2%

 Asked TCM practitioner about COTC

8.1%

22.0%

69.9%

  1. *Item not included in summative scale score due to low item-total correlation.
  2. **Original 5-point Likert responses were recoded as: Habitually (Always or Often), Occasionally (Sometimes or Seldom) and Never due to small cell counts.