摘要：Introduction: Osteoarthritis an inflammatory
process in the synovial membrane. These changes
cause pain and joint deformities. Pharmacists can
assess patients’ quality of life, which can be a good
criterion for assessing analgesics treatment
effectiveness and prevent the growing phenomenon
of polypharmacy and self-treatment.
Purpose: To answer these questions: 1) Is there a
relationship between the quality of life of patients
with osteoarthritis taking analgesics and those with
osteoarthritis taking analgesics and implemented
rehabilitation? 2) Do patients using analgesics
practice polypharmacy? 3) Are patients with
osteoarthritis the main consumers of painkillers? and
4) Does the use of analgesics affect the health-related
quality of life of patients with osteoarthritis?
Materials and methods: The study was conducted
on 240 people who were divided into three groups:
osteoarthritis, reference (generally healthy,
occasionally taking analgesics), and control
(generally healthy, no intake of analgesics). To
assess the rise in analgesics consumption by patients
with osteoarthritis and the phenomenon of
polypharmacy, an original questionnaire was used.
Results: There is a relationship between the quality
of life of patients with osteoarthritis taking
analgesics. Statistical analysis showed that in the
years 2013-2015 the purchase of prescription
analgesics and without a prescription systematically,
significantly increased.
Conclusions: Patients using analgesics
unknowingly practice polypharmacy. In Ars Medica
Pharmacies, analgesics purchases by patients with
osteoarthritis grew significantly in the analyzed
period, but they are not the main analgesics
consumers. Use of analgesics by patients with
osteoarthritis improves their health-related quality of
life.
