When colds, flus and allergies hit, many people automatically turn to over-the-counter medications to push through and treat their symptoms. These include decongestants, painkillers, cough or allergy medicines and combinations thereof. Nearly 70% of adults in the U.S. use over-the-counter medications as a first-line response for treating cold and flu symptoms. We are a pharmacoepidemiologist and pharmacist team and we investigate adherence to medications and potential harms of medications associated with drug-drug interactions. Pharmacoepidemiology is the study of medication use and treatment outcomes among large populations in real-world settings. A 2021 study showed that from 2017 to 2019 in the U.S., approximately 6.1 of every 1,000 people visited emergency rooms because of harms from medications. Of these emergency room visits, 38.6% led to hospitalization. More of these cases occurred in patients 65 and older than in younger populations. Another study estimated that every year,...
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