Objectives: The aim of the current study was to describe prescription medication sharing behaviours (i.e. borrowing and lending) among adults living in Saudi Arabia.
Methods: This cross-sectional survey was conducted in Saudi Arabia during December 2018. The eligibility criteria were an ability to communicate in Arabic or English and aged ≥18 years. An online survey was distributed to a convenience sample, supplemented by snowballing, by email and social media via an Internet link leading to a web-based survey platform in QuestionPro to assess their medication sharing behaviours. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were used to assess the associations.
Key findings: A total of 667 completed the questionnaire. The prevalence of borrowing and lending prescription medication was found to be 14% and 16% in 2018 (past year), respectively. Twenty per cent of participants revealed that they had given a medication prescribed for one child to another child in their care, and 75% reported having leftover prescription medicine at home. The majority (90%) had borrowed or lent on one to three occasions. A wide range of medications were borrowed and lent mainly between immediate family members. Different reasons have been identified for medicine borrowing or lending behaviours.
Conclusions: Borrowing and lending prescription medications are a common practice in the Saudi population. Further research is warranted into the development of successful approaches or interventions to reduce medication sharing behaviour.
Keywords: borrowing; lending; prescription drugs; prescription medicines; sharing.
© 2019 Royal Pharmaceutical Society.