Consumer Knowledge of Over-the-Counter Phenazopyridine

Article Figures & Data

Table 1.

Overall Population Characteristics (N = 434)

Characteristic	Weighted Percent
Sex
Female	96
Ethnicity
White	45
Nonwhite	55
African American	17
Asian/Pacific Islander	11
Hispanic	24
Other	3
Education
Below high school	1
Some high school	5
High-school graduate	23
Some college	32
College graduate	29
Postgraduate	11
Annual household Income
<$30,000	38
$30,00–$50,000	27
$50,001–$70,000	18
>$70,000	16
Health insurance
Yes	81
History of urinary tract infection
Yes	63
Previous use of prescription phenazopyridine
Yes	29
On concurrent antibiotic
Yes	23
Using phenazopyridine instead of going to the doctor
Yes	38
Beliefs about cause of urinary tract symptoms
Don’t know	42
Urinary tract infection/bladder infection	29
Other	29
Knowledge of drug action
Correct	57
Incorrect	43

Table 2.

Factors Associated With Knowledge of Over-the-Counter Phenazopyridine

Factors*	Adjusted Odds Ratio (95% CI)	PValue
CI = confidence interval.
Note: Adjusted for the linear effects of other variables in the model. *Variables entered into the model included: sex, using phenazopyridine instead of going to doctor, previous use of prescription phenaopyridine, concurrent antibiotic use, race, advertisement, drug cheaper than doctor, no time to see doctor, dislike doctor, education.
* Variables with an adjusted odds ratio significantly different from 1.0 at the P <.05 level.
1. White	1.55 (1.11–2.16)	.012
2. Concurrent antibiotic use	1.91 (1.10–3.3)	.023
3. Previous use of prescription phenazopyridine	1.95 (1.07–3.5)	.03
4. Using phenazopyridine instead of going to doctor	0.59 (0.37–0.92)	.023

The Article in Brief

Many consumers have a poor understanding of the purpose of a widely-used drug called phenazopyridine. The drug, which is available without a prescription, is used to treat pain associated with urinary tract infections. Better education and monitoring of people who use over-the-counter drugs could help assure that the drugs are used correctly.