{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,28]],"date-time":"2026-09-28T13:23:16Z","timestamp":1790601796861,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":0,"publisher":"African Journals Online (AJOL)","issue":"3","content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["gmj"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Objectives: Responsible use of over-the-counter (OTC) drugs requires accurate knowledge of the drugs and when to seek professional help. The study assessed knowledge, sources and use of OTC medicines by secondary school teachers.Design: A descriptive cross-sectional survey was conducted using a multistage sampling method that involved systematic sampling.Setting: Ten secondary schools in Benin City, NigeriaParticipants: Three hundred secondary school teachers who were either casual or permanent staff and who gave informed consent were included.Outcome measures: Respondents\u2019 knowledge of OTC drugs, their sources of OTC drugs, and the most commonly used OTC drugs, among the respondents.Results: Among the 300 study participants, the majority, 185 (61.7%), practised in public schools and more than a quarter, 82 (27.3%), had good knowledge of OTC drugs. Advertisement was the most frequently reported source of information 57(19.0%). Type of school (P=0.001), educational qualification (P=0.024) and reading of enclosed drug information leaflets (P=0.001) were significantly associated with level of knowledge. The major source of OTC medicines was pharmacies (158, 52.7%), and analgesics were mainly used (216, 72.0%), followed by vitamin supplements (172, 57.0%). Ability to recognise and treat minor ailments 132(44.0%,) was the major reason for OTC drug use.Conclusion: Poor knowledge of OTC medicines was common among the teachers; their major source of knowledge was advertisements, and analgesics were most used.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.4314\/gmj.v59i3.5","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,10]],"date-time":"2025-10-10T12:59:36Z","timestamp":1760101176000},"page":"136-143","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["Knowledge, sources and use of over-the-counter drugs by teachers in a Nigerian urban community"],"prefix":"10.4314","volume":"59","author":[{"given":"Chinonyerem","family":"O. Iheanacho","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Vincent","family":"Y. Adam","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"2895","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,24]]},"container-title":["Ghana Medical Journal"],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.ajol.info\/index.php\/gmj\/article\/download\/306303\/287948","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/www.ajol.info\/index.php\/gmj\/article\/download\/306303\/287948","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,10]],"date-time":"2025-10-10T12:59:37Z","timestamp":1760101177000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.ajol.info\/index.php\/gmj\/article\/view\/306303"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,24]]},"references-count":0,"journal-issue":{"issue":"3","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,24]]}},"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.4314\/gmj.v59i3.5","relation":{},"ISSN":["0016-9560"],"issn-type":[{"value":"0016-9560","type":"print"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,24]]}}}