New study reveals rise in self-treatment, improper use impeding healing time
Toronto, ON (May 10, 2007) - As Canadians take a more active role in their own health, self-care is growing in popularity. It’s a good thing, since approximately five million Canadians don’t have regular access to a family doctor. As a result, a new poll reveals more than 70 percent of us are taking day-to-day medical matters into our own hands by using over-the counter treatments – with 30 percent saying they self-treat more today than they did just five years ago. However, like any prescription medicine, there is a right way to use an over-the-counter treatment. Unfortunately, as this same study reveals, many of us aren’t doing all we can to heal more efficiently and effectively.
“It’s extremely important to follow the directions when administering any type of medical treatment, no matter how minor it may seem,” says family physician and mom Dr. Iris Greenwald. “Medications have directions for a reason, often because years of research have gone into finding out the best way to use them. Just because you’re getting instructions from the package and not from your doctor or pharmacist, doesn’t make over-the-counter product directions any less important to follow.“
Case in point: POLYSPORIN® antibiotic ointments and creams have been a fixture in Canadian households for more than fifty years. And while one third of Canadians claim to be aware that the package says to apply POLYSPORIN® one to three times daily, only half of that number (17%) actually do so. Further, applying this antibiotic ointment until the wound has healed will ensures optimal healing time.
Stick With It
“In my experience, one of the biggest mistakes people make when treating health matters is stopping too soon,” says Dr. Greenwald. “There’s a tendency to think that once the immediate issue is resolved – be it pain or bleeding – you no longer need to continue the course of treatment. But that simply isn’t true. In fact, by not sticking to treatment directions you risk slower healing times and increased chances of the issue recurring.”
Science echoes this voice of experience. A study by Leyden JJ, et al shows that proper application and reapplication of antibiotic ointment can heal infected wounds a full four days faster than without. So a few minutes can actually save you more than a few days worth of healing time.
Information is Power
- The POLYSPORIN® Self-Treatment Poll revealed three more major barriers to optimal over-the-counter healing:
- Lapsed expiry dates: Even though fifty percent of Canadians worry that older medications will not be as effective as newer ones, people continue to use expired products, especially when it comes to over-the-counter treatments. “Products have an expiry date for a reason”, says Dr. Greenwald. “Medications have to be rigorously tested before they come to market and that testing helps determine the expiry date. Beyond the expiry date, medications may lose strength and effectiveness”.
- Double standard: While only eleven percent of Canadian mothers would consider using an expired over-the-counter product on their children, more than twice that number wouldn’t hesitate to use an expired product on themselves. In other words, moms are more likely to follow directions for their children’s benefit, but not where their own health is concerned!
- Infection protection misconceptions: Sixty percent of respondents incorrectly stated that a cut needs to be ‘aired out’ instead of being covered by a Band-Aid®. “You actually want to prevent a scab from forming,” says Dr. Greenwald. “To do so, wounds need to be kept moist and protected, which facilitates new cell production, maintains moisture balance, prevents infection and reduces the chance of scarring.”
Cuts and Scrapes are a pain,
but treating them doesn’t have to be
According to Dr. Greenwald, there are three easy steps to remember for proper wound treatment: Clean, Treat and Protect. “First, remove dirt by cleaning the wound using soap and water or antiseptic wash. Next, treat it often to prevent infection, by applying antibiotic ointment or cream, such as POLYSPORIN®, one to three times. Finally, protect the cut until it is fully healed with an adhesive Band-Aid®.”
“It’s great to see brands we’ve trusted for 50+ years making improvements to make treatments more family and user-friendly,” says Dr. Greenwald. POLYSPORIN® not only comes in several varieties to meet your family’s first-aid needs, its also less messy than ever before thanks to the new tube that makes it easier to control dispensing. Varieties of POLYSPORIN® include Complete Antibiotic Ointment, Triple Antibiotic Ointment, and POLYSPORIN® For Kids.
Owned and marketed by Johnson & Johnson Inc., POLYSPORIN® is available at drug, mass merchandise, and grocery stores across Canada. Johnson & Johnson is the world’s most comprehensive and broadly-based manufacturer of health care products, as well as a provider of related services, for the consumer, pharmaceutical and professional markets. Johnson & Johnson has more than 180 operating companies in 51 countries around the world, selling products in more than 175 countries.
For additional information, or to arrange an interview with Dr. Iris Greenwald, please contact:
Lorna Bennett/Frances Manlucu
Environics Communications Inc.
416-969-2711/416-969-2715
lbennett@environicspr.com / fmanlucu@environicspr.com
The independent survey was commissioned by POLYSPORIN® and conducted by Decima Research in the winter/spring of 2007. This national sample of 1,000 Canadians 18 years or older is accurate within +/- 2.2 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
