Self-medication is an important pillar of healthcare

Headaches are most prevalent in middle age and not only have an immediate impact on the quality of life of those affected but also significantly influence their work and overall productivity. The majority of sufferers manage acute headaches through self-medication. National and international guidelines recommend acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) as a first-line treatment, with the scientific evidence for ...

Ambroxol is a mucoactive agent which has been widely used to treat acute and chronic respiratory diseases associated with a disturbance of mucus formation and transport. More recent data demonstrated that acute and chronic cough have also significant negative impact on the daily lives of adults and children. This article evaluates the impact of ambroxol on cough recovery speed and quality of life, ...

Stimulant laxatives, such as bisacodyl, sodium picosulfate (SPS), and senna, are recommended to treat constipation, based on the recent AGA/ACG guideline [1], with different levels of recommendation and evidence. They all stimulate intestinal motility, as well as water and electrolyte secretion, and accelerate intestinal transit time [2, 3]. Herbal laxatives cannot be generalized to be gentler com ...

Real-world evidence (RWE) studies are gaining increasing importance in medical research because they investigate drug therapy use under everyday conditions. Two recent RWE studies in the field of self-medication exemplify the added value that this methodology offers for the evaluation of medicinal products.

The use of ambroxol is recommended by the German Society for Pneumology and Respiratory Medicine [1] to reduce symptom intensity and accelerate the recovery from acute and subacute cough. As mucoactive, it stands out by its mucokinetic effects, increasing cilia beating in the airways to remove the mucus. A new study [2] has now shed light on further details of the signalling pathway responsible fo ...