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  • About
  • The Global ETD Search service is a free service for researchers to find electronic theses and dissertations. This service is provided by the Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations.
    Our metadata is collected from universities around the world. If you manage a university/consortium/country archive and want to be added, details can be found on the NDLTD website.
21

Racionalidade econômica e aspectos jurídicos dos derivativos: uma análise jurisprudencial / Economic rationality and legal aspects of derivatives: a case law analisys

Mafud, Pedro Darahem 09 May 2014 (has links)
Este trabalho descreve o comportamento do Judiciário brasileiro com relação aos derivativos. Para tanto, exploramos decisões dos Tribunais de Justiça entre os anos de 2006 e 2010, conforme metodologia específica. Como suporte da pesquisa jurimétrica, analisamos os aspectos financeiros (utilidade e risco, espécies e estratégias, locais de negociação) e as características jurídicas (jogo e aposta, natureza contratual, valores mobiliários) dos derivativos. / This paper describes the position of the Brazilian courts on derivatives. For this purpose, we examine decisions rendered by the Courts of Appeals between the years of 2006 and 2010, in accordance with a specific methodology. As a foundation for jurimetrics research, we analyse the financial aspects (utility and risk, species and strategies, trade environment) and the legal characteristics (gambling, contractual nature, securities) of derivatives.
22

The relationship between non-fatal overdose of pharmaceutical medications, suicidality and depression

Buykx, Penelope January 2007 (has links)
This thesis examines three main themes; depression, suicidality, and non-fatal overdose involving pharmaceutical and over-the-counter (OTC) medications. At any given time depression affects approximately one in every twenty adults in Australia. People with depression are at elevated risk of attempted and completed suicide compared to those without. Medication overdose is a frequently chosen method of suicidal behaviour, and accounts for one in ten suicide deaths and close to nine out of ten non-fatal episodes of suicidal behaviour for which hospital treatment is sought. The study reported here had six primary aims; (i) to quantify medication overdose presentations over a 12-month period to the Emergency Department (ED) of a major metropolitan public hospital in Melbourne, Australia, (ii) to describe the medication overdose patient group, including comparison with two other relevant types of presentation, illicit drug overdose, and actual or potential self-harm by means other than overdose, (iii) to explore the relationship between depression, suicidal ideation and medication overdose, (iv) to identify the medications typically used in overdose and their means of acquisition, (v) to explore patient experiences of emergency care following a medication overdose, and (vi) to comment on the feasibility of introducing a brief intervention within the ED with the intention of addressing the issue of medication overdose. Three data sources were employed: computerised ED records, interviews with a sub-sample of patients attending the ED following a medication overdose, and observation of ED processes in relation to these cases. / One of the most important findings of the study was the large contribution made by benzodiazepine medications to the overall medication overdose statistics. When considered in conjunction with the patient interview data, it appeared that many patients included in the study were prescribed benzodiazepines in a manner that contradicts current national prescribing guidelines. The problem of medication overdose could be partially addressed by working with doctors to ensure the appropriateness of their prescribing practices, to encourage them to more closely monitor the treatment progress of at-risk patients, and to increase awareness of other evidence-based forms of treatment for depression and anxiety.
23

TMD Revisited: Appreciating the Work of Illness, the Balancing of Risks, and the Construction of Moral Identity Involved in Dealing with Chronic Pain

Eaves, Emery Rose January 2015 (has links)
Temporomandibular Disorder(s) (TMD), a common cause of chronic pain affecting the face and jaw, profoundly impacts interactions as fundamental to human existence as smiling, laughing, speaking, eating, and intimacy. Since landmark anthropological research on TMD in the 1990s, considerable changes have occurred in the way TMD is thought about and responded to. Knowledge about TMD among dentists and physicians has increased since publication of the Research Diagnostic Criteria (RDC-TMD), and a well-funded TMJ association now advocates for research and support of the condition. On the other hand, concerns in the medical world about increases in chronic pain and associated risks of misuse of pain medications have increased. Physicians are trained to perform a gatekeeper role, preventing those patients at-risk of becoming drug abusers from gaining access to opioid pain medications. These differing contextual factors and my focus on a group of participants drawn from a complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) trial, rather than from a pain clinic, provide an expanded and updated view of TMD. I present analyses of semi-structured, open-ended interviews with 44 participants interviewed multiple times over the course of their participation in an NIH-funded trial evaluating Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) for TMD. In contrast to earlier studies of participants who were consumed by an endless search for diagnosis and treatment, these participants were largely focused on coping and "just dealing with" the daily experience of severe pain. Three articles comprise the body of work presented in this dissertation. Topics include the Works of Illness, the Paradox of Hope, and the construction of moral identity through consumption of over-the-counter (OTC) medications. First, using a "works of illness" framework, I draw attention to the considerable work sufferers undertook to manage competing demands of social and physical risk imposed by chronic pain. I refer to these forms of work as the work of stoicism and the work of vigilance and identify double binds created in contexts that call for both. Multiple voices in the narratives of sufferers are highlighted as essential to the construction of a positive identity in the face of illness. In more in-depth exploration of the work of hope, hope is revealed as a fundamental and paradoxical aspect of autobiographical work. I describe multiple forms of hope in a typology of ways of hoping and raise as an issue the manner in which the paradox of hope--keeping hopes in check while also avoiding despair-- intersects with participant expectations in the trial. I suggest this may have an impact on the placebo effect. Trade-offs between physical harm reduction and reducing potential harm to one's identity produce narratives of harm justification as pain sufferers work to describe their use of OTC medications as minimal and responsible. Sufferers in this study, describing medications as "just over-the-counter" or "not real pain medication" distanced, themselves from association with the addictive potential of prescription pain medications. Participants avoided harm to their identities by consuming OTC pain medications as idioms of self-care. This case study provides important lessons about the experience of chronic pain in the USA. While much attention has been directed at overuse and addiction to pain medication, less has focused on the experience of those soldiering through pain and navigating paradoxes between social and physical demands. This study also directs attention to anthropology's potential contribution to drug trials, to the necessity of studying hope as well as expectations, and to how both impact the placebo response.
24

Η άποψη των καταναλωτών για την τοποθέτηση των μη συνταγογραφούμενων φαρμάκων σε πολυκαταστήματα

Λυρής, Νικόλαος 07 May 2015 (has links)
Η παρούσα διπλωματική εργασία αποτελεί ερευνητική μελέτη στα ΜΗ.ΣΥ.ΦΑ. και της πώλησης τους από τα supermarket, καθώς και της καταναλωτικής συμπεριφοράς σε σχέση με αυτά. Πρόκειται για μία περιγραφική ποσοτική έρευνα, η οποία διεξήχθη μέσω ερωτηματολογίων με δείγμα ποσοστών, με αντιπροσωπευτικότητα ως προς το φύλο και την ηλικία με βάση την απογραφή της ΕΛΣΤΑΤ(2011) για τον Δήμο Πατρών. Αρχικά, περιλαμβάνει την εισαγωγή, όπου παρατίθενται ο σκοπός της έρευνας, βασικές εισαγωγικές έννοιες σχετικά με τα ΜΗ.ΣΥ.ΦΑ. και το μάρκετινγκ, ενώ ακολουθεί η χρησιμότητα του προβλήματος, η ακολουθητέα μέθοδος ανάλυσης και οι περιορισμοί που παρουσιάστηκαν κατά τη μελέτη. Στη συνέχεια, αναπτύσσεται το θεωρητικό υπόβαθρο της ανάλυσης, με όλα εκείνα τα απαραίτητα στοιχεία της καταναλωτικής συμπεριφοράς, του μίγματος μάρκετινγκ και πώς αυτά εφαρμόζονται στην περίπτωση των ΜΗ.ΣΥ.ΦΑ. Ακολουθεί το ερευνητικό μέρος της εργασίας, με αναλυτική ανάπτυξη της μεθοδολογίας έρευνας, παράθεση πινάκων, γραφημάτων και αποτελεσμάτων και λεπτομερής εξαγωγή συμπερασμάτων. Το ερωτηματολόγιο περιλαμβάνει ερωτήσεις που αποσκοπούν στη μελέτη της αντίληψης του καταναλωτή σχετικά με τα ΜΗ.ΣΥ.ΦΑ., της συχνότητας χρήσης και αγοράς αυτών, αλλά και των μεταβλητών κάθε στοιχείου του μίγματος μάρκετινγκ ως προς το προϊόν, τη διανομή, την προβολή και την τιμολόγηση. Η ανάλυση πραγματοποιείται μέσω του στατιστικού πακέτου SPSS και περιλαμβάνει περιγραφική στατιστική ανάλυση και ανάλυση παραγόντων, η οποία ομαδοποιεί τις μεταβλητές μας και παρουσιάζει τους τελικούς παράγοντες που ομαδοποιούν τους καταναλωτές με βάση την άποψη και την συμπεριφορά τους. Τέλος, ακολουθούν τα συμπεράσματα σε συνοπτική μορφή, ώστε να είναι κατανοητά και να δείχνουν ευκρινώς τις προτιμήσεις και το καταναλωτικό προφίλ του δείγματος που συμμετείχε στην έρευνα αυτή, ενώ αναπτύσσονται συνοπτικά κάποιες προτάσεις για άσκηση πολιτικής εκ μέρους των φαρμακευτικών εταιρειών σχετικά με τα ΜΗ.ΣΥ.ΦΑ. προϊόντα και το μίγμα μάρκετινγκ αυτών. Στο παράρτημα παρατίθεται αυτούσιο το ερωτηματολόγιο, στο οποίο βασίστηκε η παρούσα έρευνα. / This thesis is a research study in OTC and selling them from the supermarket, and consumer behavior in relation thereto. This is a descriptive quantitative research, conducted through questionnaires with sample rates, with representativeness gender and age based on census ELSTAT (2011) for the Municipality of Patras. Initially, includes import, which lists the purpose of the research, basic concepts and principles regarding the OTC and marketing, followed by the utility of the problem, followed assay and limitations encountered during the study. Then develops the theoretical background of the analysis, with all the necessary elements of consumer behavior, marketing mix and how they apply in the case of OTC Below is the research part of the work, detailing the development of research methodology, tile tables, graphs and results and detailed conclusions. The questionnaire includes questions designed to study the perception of the consumer on the OTC, frequency of use and their market and the variables of each element of the marketing mix to the product, distribution, promotion and pricing. The analysis is performed through the statistical package SPSS and includes descriptive statistical analysis and factor analysis, which compiles our variables and presents the final factors grouping consumers based on the views and behavior. Finally, following the conclusions in summary form that is understandable and clearly indicate their preferences and the consumer profile of the sample participated in this research, and develop briefly some suggestions for a policy on the part of pharmaceutical companies on MI.SY .FA. products and the mixture of these marketing. In the appendix, as the whole questionnaire, to which this research was based.
25

Measuring brand loyalty in the pharmaceutical industry of South Africa / Hilde du Plooy

Du Plooy, Hilde January 2012 (has links)
Brands are recognised as one of the most valuable assets that a company can possess and therefore brands are key role-players in the business strategies of organisations. The rivalry amongst competitors in the pharmaceutical industry is fierce and companies should design their strategies in such a way in order to achieve competitive advantage. Brand loyalty is regarded as a powerful tool in the development of pharmaceutical brands. The main aim of this study was to measure brand loyalty in the pharmaceutical industry of South Africa and to establish whether patients are brand loyal to original pharmaceutical brands and the influence of generics on pharmaceutical brand loyalty. The measurement of brand loyalty in the pharmaceutical industry is based on Moolla’s brand loyalty framework for the FMCG (fast moving consumer goods) industry. This study also aimed to determine whether Moolla’s FMCG brand loyalty framework is applicable to the pharmaceutical industry. The twelve brand loyalty influences identified by Moolla are: Customer satisfaction; Switching costs; Brand trust; Repeat purchase; Involvement; Perceived value; Commitment; Relationship proneness; Brand affect; Brand relevance; Brand performance and Culture. The empirical study was conducted among 250 over-the-counter medicine consumers with different demographic profiles. The methodology included the sampling procedure, data collection, questionnaire development and statistical techniques used. Results were analysed with regards to Factor analysis; the Kaiser- Meyer-Olkin measure of sampling adequacy; Cronbach Alpha coefficients; Bartlett’s test of sphericity, mean values and effect sizes. The Empirical results through quantitative analysis included the validity of the research instruments, the calculation of the reliability coefficients which reported on the significance of the research variables. The results were presented in a conceptual framework to measure pharmaceutical brand loyalty. The results of this study concluded that the brand loyalty influences as identified by Moolla are important for measuring pharmaceutical brand loyalty. The results of this study also concluded that patients are indeed brand loyal and do prefer branded pharmaceuticals to generic pharmaceuticals in the over-the-counter medicine industry of South Africa. The importance of this study is the contribution of a brand loyalty framework to measure pharmaceutical brand loyalty which will aid pharmaceutical companies in the strategic management thereof. / Thesis (MBA)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013
26

Measuring brand loyalty in the pharmaceutical industry of South Africa / Hilde du Plooy

Du Plooy, Hilde January 2012 (has links)
Brands are recognised as one of the most valuable assets that a company can possess and therefore brands are key role-players in the business strategies of organisations. The rivalry amongst competitors in the pharmaceutical industry is fierce and companies should design their strategies in such a way in order to achieve competitive advantage. Brand loyalty is regarded as a powerful tool in the development of pharmaceutical brands. The main aim of this study was to measure brand loyalty in the pharmaceutical industry of South Africa and to establish whether patients are brand loyal to original pharmaceutical brands and the influence of generics on pharmaceutical brand loyalty. The measurement of brand loyalty in the pharmaceutical industry is based on Moolla’s brand loyalty framework for the FMCG (fast moving consumer goods) industry. This study also aimed to determine whether Moolla’s FMCG brand loyalty framework is applicable to the pharmaceutical industry. The twelve brand loyalty influences identified by Moolla are: Customer satisfaction; Switching costs; Brand trust; Repeat purchase; Involvement; Perceived value; Commitment; Relationship proneness; Brand affect; Brand relevance; Brand performance and Culture. The empirical study was conducted among 250 over-the-counter medicine consumers with different demographic profiles. The methodology included the sampling procedure, data collection, questionnaire development and statistical techniques used. Results were analysed with regards to Factor analysis; the Kaiser- Meyer-Olkin measure of sampling adequacy; Cronbach Alpha coefficients; Bartlett’s test of sphericity, mean values and effect sizes. The Empirical results through quantitative analysis included the validity of the research instruments, the calculation of the reliability coefficients which reported on the significance of the research variables. The results were presented in a conceptual framework to measure pharmaceutical brand loyalty. The results of this study concluded that the brand loyalty influences as identified by Moolla are important for measuring pharmaceutical brand loyalty. The results of this study also concluded that patients are indeed brand loyal and do prefer branded pharmaceuticals to generic pharmaceuticals in the over-the-counter medicine industry of South Africa. The importance of this study is the contribution of a brand loyalty framework to measure pharmaceutical brand loyalty which will aid pharmaceutical companies in the strategic management thereof. / Thesis (MBA)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013
27

Three essays on banking and corporate finance in Japan

Packer, Frank. January 1993 (has links)
Thesis (Ph. D.)--Columbia University, 1993. / Includes bibliographical references.
28

Direct marketing σε μη συνταγογραφούμενα φάρμακα, OTC

Ζυγογιάννη, Γεωργία 19 January 2011 (has links)
Το direct marketing αποτελεί μια ιδιαίτερη μορφή marketing, όπου κάθε ενέργεια που περιλαμβάνει δημιουργεί ένα είδος διαπροσωπικής σχέσης μεταξύ επιχείρησης και πελάτη. Αποτελεί αναπόσπαστο κομμάτι της Ολοκληρωμένης Επικοινωνίας Marketing. Είναι ένας προσωπικός τρόπος προσέγγισης δυνητικών πελατών. Σύμφωνα με τον ορισμό της Direct Marketing Association , direct marketing είναι ένα αμφίδρομο σύστημα marketing (interactive system marketing) που χρησιμοποιεί ένα ή περισσότερα διαφημιστικά μέσα, προκειμένου να πραγματοποιήσει μια μετρούμενη ανταπόκριση (response) ή συναλλαγή (transaction) σε οποιοδήποτε σημείο. Γίνεται αντιληπτό, λοιπό, ότι περιγράφεται ένα αμφίδρομο σύστημα μεταξύ marketer και καταναλωτή. Τα βασικά εργαλεία του direct marketing αφενός δίνουν την ευκαιρία στους καταναλωτές να αποκριθούν θετικά ή μη στα μηνύματα που φέρουν προς αυτούς και αφετέρου δίνουν τη δυνατότητα στους marketers καταγράφοντας και μετρώντας τις αντιδράσεις των καταναλωτών να οδηγηθούν σε σημαντικά συμπεράσματα που θα τους βοηθήσουν σε μελλοντικό σχεδιασμό marketing. Τα βασικά χαρακτηριστικά του direct marketing συνοψίζονται στο ότι βρίσκεται δίπλα στον καταναλωτή, κατανοεί τις ανάγκες του, ανταποκρίνεται σε προσωπικό επίπεδο με τον καταναλωτή και διατηρεί σχέση μαζί του και μετά την συναλλαγή. Η φιλοσοφία του direct marketing είναι ότι κάθε πελάτης είναι μοναδικός. Βασικός σκοπός της έρευνας είναι πως επηρεάζει την καταναλωτική συμπεριφορά η εφαρμογή του direct marketing στο χώρο του φαρμακείου και συγκεκριμένα η εφαρμογή βασικών εργαλείων του direct marketing εντός του φαρμακείου όπως αυτή αποφασίζεται και σχεδιάζεται τόσο από τις εταιρίες όσο και από τον φαρμακοποιό. Η ερευνητική βάση της παρούσας εργασίας ήταν πως το direct marketing σε μη συνταγογραφούμενα φάρμακα- OTC δύναται να επηρεάσει την αγοραστική απόφαση του ασθενή ή δυνητικού πελάτη στο χώρο του φαρμακείου. Αποδεικνύεται, λοιπόν, ότι τo direct marketing εφαρμόζεται επιτυχώς στο σύγχρονο ελληνικό φαρμακείο. Σκοπός μιας θεματικής προβολής ενός φαρμάκου ή άλλου φαρμακευτικού ενδιαφέροντος προϊόντος είναι να λειτουργήσει σαν έναυσμα για τη συμβουλευτική προσέγγιση και πώληση. Η οργάνωση της θεματικής προβολής ξεκινά με στόχο να δοθεί ένα ξεκάθαρο μήνυμα στον επισκέπτη. Όπως προκύπτει από την ανάλυση των δεδομένων, ιδανικό είναι να γίνεται παρουσίαση σε τουλάχιστον 3 βασικά σημεία όπως είναι η βιτρίνα του φαρμακείου (την πρώτη εικόνα που έχει ο πελάτης που έρχεται στο φαρμακείο), γόνδολες ή σταντ στο χώρο προς το σημείο εξυπηρέτησης και ο πάγκο εξυπηρέτησης. Η έρευνα έγινε σε φαρμακεία δυο πόλεων της Ελλάδας( Πάτρα και Αθήνα) και απευθυνόταν σε ασθενείς και πελάτες των φαρμακείων, η επιλογή των οποίων ήταν τυχαία. Δημιουργήσαμε ένα ερωτηματολόγιο με 9 ερωτήματα και αντίστοιχα υπο-ερωτήματα. Αρχικά μοιράστηκαν 150 ερωτηματολόγια από τα οποία απαντημένα επεστράφησαν 102. Η συλλογή των απαντήσεων έγινε με την μέθοδο των προσωπικών συνεντεύξεων. Μετά τη συλλογή των ερωτηματολογίων και την καταγραφή των δεδομένων, έγινε η επεξεργασία τους με το στατιστικό πρόγραμμα spss.17 για τη εξαγωγή συμπερασμάτων. Το 44,1% των συμμετεχόντων στην έρευνα ήταν άνδρες και το 55,9 % γυναίκες. Η κατηγορία φαρμάκων που κερδίζει την προτίμηση των καταναλωτών και την οποία αγοράζουν σε τακτική βάση είναι τα αναλγητικά- αντιπυρετικά σε ποσοστό 39,2% και ακολουθούν τα αντιφλεγμονώδη –αναλγητικά σε ποσοστό 14,7%. Από την πρώτη σε προτίμηση κατηγορία φαρμάκων, το depon είναι εκείνο που αγοράζουν τακτικά οι καταναλωτές, ενώ από τα αντιφλεγμονώδη- αναλγητικά προτιμούν το ponstan. Οι συμμετέχοντες στην έρευνα συνηθίζουν να αγοράζουν τα φάρμακα βασιζόμενοι στην εμπειρία τους, στην διαφήμιση αυτών και στην ελκυστική συσκευασία τους, φροντίζουν να ενημερώνονται για τα κυκλοφορούντα OTC φάρμακα στην αγορά, η αγοραστική τους απόφαση επηρεάζεται από τις προωθητικές δραστηριότητες και ενδιαφέρονται για την ανάπτυξη ουσιαστικής επικοινωνίας με τον φαρμακοποιό. / Direct marketing is a special form of marketing, where every action creates a unique relationship between the venture and the customer. It is considered as an integral piece of Integrated Communication Marketing. Rather it can be characterized as a personal way to approach potential customers. According to the definition of the Direct Marketing Association, Direct Marketing is an interactive marketing system that uses one or more advertising means, so that it realises a measuring response or transaction at any point. As it is obvious, we have described an interactive system between the marketer and the consumer. The main philosophy of the direct marketing lies in the fact that every consumer is unique. We can summarize the basic characteristics of direct marketing in the following: • it tries to be near the customer, • understand his needs, • respond to them in a personal level • and to maintain a good relationship with him, even after the transaction. The basic tools of direct marketing enable on the one hand the consumers to respond directly in their own way (positively or negatively) to the messages of the marketers, and on the other hand enable the marketers to record and measure the counteractions of the consumers, so that they can actually conclude in significant results for their future marketing plans. The purpose of this study is to examine how the patient/consumer behavior is affected by the implementation of direct marketing in the actual area of a pharmacy, as this is applied either by companies or by the pharmacist himself. We restricted our research concern only to OTC medicines; therefore we could have a sample, where the final decision about drug consuming would be on the patient alone. We have seen that the direct marketing is successfully applied in today’s Greek pharmacy. The research took place in the pharmacies of two major cities of Greece, Athens and Patras, and was addressed to patients, who were randomly chosen. We handed out 150 questionnaires but finally gathered 102. We used SPSS 17 to process the data. 44,1% of the respondents were men and 55,9 % women. The first category of medicine that the patients buy is analgetics-antipyretics followed by anti-inflamatory drugs. As we have seen the major reasons that make patients decide what medicine to consume are experience, advertisements, and package.
29

Η επίδραση της διαφήμισης των μη συνταγογραφούμενων παυσίπονων φαρμάκων στη συμπεριφορά των καταναλωτών-ασθενών του φαρμακείου

Παπαδάκη, Ευαγγελία 17 September 2012 (has links)
Η παρούσα διπλωματική εργασία έχει ως σκοπό να μελετήσει αν η διαφήμιση των OTC παυσίπονων φαρμάκων επηρεάζει τη συμπεριφορά των καταναλωτών-ασθενών. Πιο συγκεκριμένα, μελετούνται διάφοροι παράγοντες που βρέθηκαν από τη βιβλιογραφική ανασκόπηση ότι επηρεάζουν τις επιλογές των καταναλωτών. Επίσης, διερευνήσαμε τη γνώμη των καταναλωτών για τα OTC παυσίπονα φάρμακα και πόσο σημαντικός είναι ο ρόλος του φαρμακοποιού για τις αποφάσεις που λαμβάνουν οι καταναλωτές. / The aim of this thesis is the impact of advertising OTC painkilling drugs on consumer behavior.
30

The use of over-the-counter medicine and health information seeking behaviour in England

Prinsloo, Erica January 2017 (has links)
Background. In England and the UK there has been a move to provide the consumer with more choice in over the counter medicine. In recognition of the number of drugs now available without prescription, new models and frameworks are being utilised with the aim to educate the public about self-treatment. How health information is sought has also undergone transformation with the advent of the internet, the adoption and utilisation of this resource has had a significant impact on how the healthcare consumer seeks information. Aims and Methods. The aim of this study was to investigate the provision of and access to consumer health information in England, specifically with reference to over the counter medicines to promote understanding of the consumers attitudes and opinions to this type of medicine and their health information seeking behaviours. The findings of the study were used to provide recommendations to the stakeholders involved; healthcare organisations, healthcare professionals and the healthcare consumer. The research consisted of a survey (n=324) and was analysed using quantitative and qualitative methods. Results. The majority of respondents utilised over the counter medicine responsibly and with few adverse events. The General Practitioner is the main source of information and online sources the next most utilised resource. Effectiveness and following advice/recommendations were amongst the themes identified that made a treatment episode with over the counter medicines successful. Unsuccessful treatment episodes included those with escalation of symptoms. Factors governing successful health information seeking were problem solving through self diagnosis and expanding knowledge on an existing health issue. Conclusions. Over the counter medicines are a widely used commodity but respondents continue to have a heavy reliance on the general practitioner for prescription medicines, especially for minor ailments. Evidence exists that individuals utilise information seeking behaviour for self treatment and the use of over the counter medicines. However, adoption of self care models need to be increased through educating health care consumers to maximise the potential benefits of these frameworks for the stakeholders.

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