Risk perception of NSAIDs in South Dakota in comparison with Slovakia and Greece.

AIM Adverse effects (ADRs) of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) represent a public health problem. To decrease the negative effect on the population, an improvement of risk awareness is crucial. We aimed to evaluate the risk perception and the use of NSAIDs in South Dakota in comparison with Slovakia and Greece. METHOD A structured questionnaire evaluating NSAID use in 185 patients in a hospital in South Dakota. RESULTS 95.7 % of respondents reported the use of analgesics. On 1-10 visual analogue scale, perceived risk of NSAIDs was 4.27±2.46, similar to Greece (4.36±2.41, p=0.360), but significantly higher than in Slovakia (3.8±1.9, p=0.038). Only 12.4 % were familiar with gastrointestinal ADRs and only 1.1 % were aware of cardiovascular risk. Although 57.8 % were informed about ADRs by their doctor or pharmacist, only 33.0 % were informed spontaneously, without actively asking. Providers in South Dakota were informing patients spontaneously more often than in Slovakia (15.9 %, p≤0.001) and on par with Greece (36.3 %, p=0.631). CONCLUSIONS Public awareness about NSAID risk is dangerously low. Only a third of providers are informing patients about possible risks spontaneously (Tab. 6, Ref. 15) Keywords: non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, risk perception, adverse effects, cardiovascular risk, gastrointestinal risk.