A Technology Solution to Over the Counter Drug Issues

<p>Reading and comprehending the drug packaging information to guide the selection of an appropriate over-the-counter (OTC) drug is a common challenge given concerns of abuse and misuse, addiction, overmedication, and inability to select the drugs in cases where the guidance of a medical professional is not available. This research reviews data on OTC usage in the United States, reviews the process followed by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the transition of drugs from prescription to nonprescription status, and highlights some risks and benefits of OTC medication. It reviews issues in OTC medication, including decision-making in selecting OTC medication, shows a relationship between health literacy and effective use of OTC medication, and covers readability and comprehensibility of the drug label as a concern in OTC drug acquisition and usage. It also reviews some studies on technology approaches in decision-making that supports the selection of OTC medication. The research proposes a technology artifact in the form of a mobile application that consumers would use to guide the selection of a drug by augmenting the drug package information with questions that a pharmacist would ask a customer looking for OTC medication. It also investigates whether the facts of medicine, as presented to a customer, cause information overload to an extent that hampers the selection of a drug, and whether the methods of information presentation differ in terms of knowledge retention, information overload, and perceived usability. The research also evaluates different multimedia methodologies in how they aid the understanding of drug label information to support the selection of an appropriate OTC drug. The study found greater knowledge retention and less information overload on users using the audio-based and video-based mobile apps than those who used text-based apps.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Information Systems and Technology, PhD

Level thesis:degree_level

Open Access Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Center for Information Systems and Technology

Year dc:date.available

2020

Author dc:creator

• Gitobu, Allan Mugambi

Contributors dc:contributor

• Yan Li
• Terry Ryan
• Don Roosan

• Design science research
• Information overload
• Mobile app design
• OTC medication
• Science and Technology Studies

Repository record dc:identifier

https://scholarship.claremont.edu/cgu_etd/676

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:scholarship.claremont.edu:cgu_etd-1698