Assessment of use and Awareness of Diclofenac in Syria

Diclofenac, known as diclone in Syria, is the most widely used drug in multiple medical conditions. This research was conducted to assess the use and awareness of diclofenac in Syria through a survey. 601 responses were included in this research.Most participants were female (67.7%), between the ages of 18 and 30 years (82.9%), and did not have a chronic disease (86.3%). More than half of the participants were university students (53.4%). A high proportion of the participants had a university education level (87.7%). The most commonly used dosage form for diclofenac was tablets among participants(70.9%). 43.8% chose 50mg as the dose of diclofenac. Most participants improved after using diclofenac (73.7%). Participants were satisfied after diclofenac treatment (66.56%). Most had no side effects after treatment with diclofenac (79.5%). 81.3% of the participants who experienced side effects suffered from stomach pain. Fortunately, 84.4% of the participants did not use the injection combining diclofenac with cortisone and an antibiotic. 56.38% used this combination to treat respiratory infections. A minority of the participants experienced allergic reactions after taking this medication (4%). More than two-thirds of the participants will continue to use diclofenac for pain management in the future (65.9%).77.9% of the participants used diclofenac without a prescription. Most participants used this medicine after a meal (82%). 36.6% of the participants recorded half an hour as the onset of diclofenac. The participants reported an action duration of 6 hours (24.5%) and 8 hours (31%). This study confirmed the high use of diclofenac among the Syrians. A good level of awareness was observed among the surveyed participants.