Percentage of respondents that prefer a specific channel with regard to the availability of over-the-counter painkillers
| Safety profiles* | N | Percentage of respondents that prefer a channel | Mean score† (95% CI) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Supermarket/petrol station | Chemist | Pharmacy only | Prescription only | |||
| Safe when used normally, but potentially serious side effects when used in combination with certain prescription drugs | 876 | 1.1 | 7.4 | 70.8 | 20.7 | 3.11 (3.07 to 3.15) |
| Can be used safely by most people, but potentially serious side effects when used by elderly people and those with severe concomitant diseases | 875 | 1.0 | 12.6 | 65.3 | 21.1 | 3.07 (3.02 to 3.11) |
| Can be used safely by most people, but potentially serious side effects when used by children | 859 | 2.2 | 18.6 | 59.6 | 19.6 | 2.97 (2.92 to 3.01) |
| In rare cases (less than 1/1000) people suffer serious side effects, like gastrointestinal bleedings | 848 | 3.5 | 25.4 | 52.7 | 18.4 | 2.86 (2.81 to 2.91) |
| No side effects when used as directed, but taking too many tablets can cause serious damage | 813 | 8.1 | 34.0 | 46.0 | 11.9 | 2.62 (2.56 to 2.67) |
| Mild side effects, such as stomach and intestinal problems, but never serious side effects | 841 | 4.8 | 45.3 | 40.7 | 9.3 | 2.54 (2.50 to 2.59) |
*Safety profiles are ordered based on their mean score. In the questionnaire, they were ordered in another way.
†Ranging from 1 to 4 (1=wide availability; 4=restrictive availability).