Every person who is sick will always want their body to recover. One step taken to recover themself is by taking medicine. No exception, Indonesian also take medicine. What are the characteristics of Indonesians in taking drugs?

Before looking deeper into medicine character, let’s take a look at a survey result about Indonesian preferred choice when they started to feel ill. Is taking medicine to become the first choice when they are sick? Take a look at some survey results below:

PERIOD: 2017/3/29 – 2017/7/29
RESPONDENTS: 500 Respondents.
SURVEY DONE BY LICORICE

Q. When you have a headache, what is the first action that you take? (SA)

59.6% of respondents prefer taking rest and eating nutritious food first when they had a headache. Though not many, a little number of respondents will consult with pharmacists, taking generic medicines or drinking herbs. This means Indonesian prefer self resting than directly taking any medication or medicine when having a headache.

Q. When your stomach hurts, what is the first action that you take? (SA)

From the survey 52.4% of respondents prefer taking rest and eating nutritious food first when their stomach hurts. Though not many, a little number of respondents will consult with pharmacists (12.8%), taking generic medicines (13%) or drinking herbs (12.8%). Indonesian also prefer self resting than directly taking any medication or medicine when their stomach hurts.

Q. When you got a fever, what is the first action that you take? (SA)

Indonesian also prefer self resting than directly taking any medication or medicine they got a fever. About 47.4% of respondents prefer taking rest and eating nutritious food first when they got a fever. Though not many, a little number of respondents will directly check to the clinic (15%), taking generic medicines (13%) or drinking herbs (10.6%).

Q. When you feel hurt or pain that you never felt before, what is the first action that you take? (SA)

There are 44.4% of respondents prefer taking a rest and eating nutritious food first when they feel hurt or pain that they never felt before.
A little number of 18.4% of respondents will directly check to the clinic, 15% of them prefer drinking herbs or 12.4% of respondents were taking generic medicines.

So, when asked whether Indonesian people will immediately take medicine when sick, the answer is no. Indonesian prefer taking a rest and eating nutritious food first when they got headaches, stomachache, fever, or even new illness symptoms that they never felt before.

However, although medicine is not directly taken, there is still a decent percentage who will ultimately take some medicines. Indonesian who go to the clinic, hospital, pharmacists would likely take medicines in the process. Based on the three survey results above, there are about 40-45% who will eventually take some medicines.

Q. When you’re feeling unwell, what medications do you usually take? (MA)

Based on the survey, Indonesian are still classified as obedient to the doctor’s prescription. It could be seen from the survey that prescription drugs are the most taken drugs by respondents when they were feeling unwell with a percentage of 56.6%. Meanwhile, the other 26% of respondents took generic drugs sold on the market. There are still 17% of others who still trust traditional medicine for their remedy.

Q. What kind of medicine do you often take? (MA)

Tablet is the most used drug by respondents with a score of 50.4. Next to the tablet, respondents use capsules and syrup with a score of 36.2 and 17.8 respectively. It can be concluded that most Indonesian take tablets as medicine.

Tablet and capsule medicines are simply the easiest medicine that can be found in Indonesia. The tablet and capsule medicine for mild symptoms such as flu, cough, headache, stomachache, diarrhea, and so on are not only sold by drugstores. The tablet medicines are also sold by groceries and even marketed in small stalls around the corner of Indonesian street. No wonder that tablets and capsules are used by most of Indonesian.

For additional information, based on the same survey, respondents would always ask or listen to the details of the work and side of medicine, whooping almost 60% of them. About 27.2% of respondents also will casually ask about the details of the work and side of medicine. Indonesian will listen to details of work and side effect explanations.

When asked whether they take medication according to the prescribed recommendation, a huge 67.25% of respondents always in accordance with prescribed recommendations in taking any medication. There are still 12.4% who rarely follow prescribed recommendations or even 6% who never follow prescribed recommendations in taking any medicine. Most Indonesian follow prescribed recommendations in taking any medicine.

The Verdict

Based on the presented facts, it can be concluded that most Indonesian will eventually take some medicines when they are feeling unwell, sooner or later. It is important for drug producers or manufacturers to take note of tablets and capsules as the most consumed drug in Indonesia. Indonesian also claimed that they would ask about the details of the works and side effects of a medicine. So, it is important to always put detailed information on medicine or drug packaging.

Also, Indonesian claimed that they will take medication according to the prescribed recommendation by a doctor or pharmacist. Thus, it is good to build a coordination and relations among doctors or pharmacists organizations in Indonesia to understand more about Indonesian needs in medicine.