WHAT IS KNOWN AND OBJECTIVE: Polypharmacy has a significant impact on patients' health with overall expenditure on over-the-counter (OTC) medicines representing a substantial burden in terms of cost of treatment. The aim of this study, which was conducted within the framework of a European Project funded by the European Union under the Seventh Framework Programme and was entitled OTC-SOCIOMED, was to report on possible determinants of patient behaviour regarding the consumption of medicines, and particularly OTCs, in the context of primary care. METHODS: A multicentre, cross-sectional study was designed and implemented in well-defined primary healthcare settings in Cyprus, the Czech Republic, France, Greece, Malta and Turkey. Patients completed a questionnaire constructed on the basis of the theory of planned behaviour (TPB), which was administered via face-to-face interviews. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: The percentage of patients who had consumed prescribed medicines over a 6-month period was consistently high, ranging from 79% in the Czech Republic and 82% in Turkey to 97% in Malta and 100% in Cyprus. Reported non-prescribed medicine consumption ranged from 33% in Turkey to 92% in the Czech Republic and 97% in Cyprus. TPB behavioural antecedents explained 43% of the variability of patients' intention to consume medicines in Malta and 24% in Greece, but only 3% in Turkey. Subjective norm was a significant predictor of the intention to consume medicines in all three countries (Greece, Malta and Turkey), whereas attitude towards consumption was a significant predictor of the expectation to consume medicines, if needed. WHAT IS NEW AND CONCLUSION: This study shows that parameters such as patients' beliefs and influence from family and friends could be determining factors in explaining the high rates of medicine consumption. Factors that affect patients' behavioural intention towards medicine consumption may assist in the formulation of evidence-based policy proposals and inform initiatives and interventions aimed at increasing the appropriate use of medicines.

Ankara Numune Research and Training Hospital Turkey

Clinic of Social and Family Medicine Faculty of Medicine University of Crete Crete Greece

Clinic of Social and Family Medicine Faculty of Medicine University of Crete Heraklion Greece

Community and Population Health General Practice St George's University of London Medical School University of Nicosia Nicosia Cyprus

Department of Family Medicine School of Medicine University of Uludag Bursa Turkey

Department of Health Economics National School of Public Health Athens Greece

Department of Political Science Faculty of Social Science University of Crete Crete Greece

Department of Social Medicine Faculty of Medicine University of Crete Heraklion Greece

Division of Community Medicine Primary Care Department of Medical and Health Sciences Linköping University Linköping Sweden

Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Kralove Charles University Prague Prague Czech Republic

Faculty of Social Sciences University of Peloponnese Corinth Greece

Greek Association of General Practitioners Thessaloniki Greece

Mediterranean Institute of Primary Care Attard Malta

Societe Francaise de Medecine Generale Faculte de Medicine Pierre et Marie Curie Universite Paris France

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