Ya Chud and Polypharmacy Situation of Muang District in Suphanburi Province

Ya Chud is a type of self-medication that is used to treat various ailments such as pain and common cold. It’s also considered a form of polypharmacy that is particularly affiliated with drug-related problems (DRPs). This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the prevalence of Ya Chud use and polypharmacy situation, and assess the factors that were associated with this situation. In total, 353 people participated in the study. All participants lived in the Muang district, Suphanburi province. Data collection was performed using an interview questionnaire. We calculated descriptive statistics for general demographic information and the prevalence of medication use. Moreover, we utilized logistic regression to evaluate the factors related to polypharmacy. The majority of the participants were female, and about half of them were more than 60 years old. The prevalence of Ya Chud usage was about 37%. The symptoms or diseases of Ya Chud use were pain and the common cold. The prevalence of polypharmacy (using more than 5 medications) among Ya Chud users was 58.46%, while the prevalence was 32.58% among all participants. Having cardiovascular disease was associated with polypharmacy in the age-adjusted model (OR = 3.05, 95% CI = 1.28-7.59). Ya Chud use contributed to an increase in polypharmacy. To prevent and reduce this problem, health care practitioners should set up more vigorous programs on pharmacy health literacy to increase people’s awareness, particularly in those who have cardiovascular diseases. A surveillance system for polypharmacy and Ya Chud use would also help address this continuing problem in the community.