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Journal of Drug Delivery and Therapeutics

Open Access to Pharmaceutical and Medical Research

Copyright  © 2021 The   Author(s): This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the CC BY-NC 4.0 which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium for non-commercial use provided the original author and source are credited

Open Access   Full Text Article                                                                                                                                         Research Article 

 Evaluating Aged Consumers Insight Regarding Modern Medicine and Traditional Medicine

Bantupalli Suranjan* , Bala Yaswanth Kumar S , Atluri Deekshit 

V Year Pharm. D, KVSR Siddhartha College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Pinnamaneni Polyclinic Road, Siddhartha Nagar, Vijayawada-520010, Andhra Pradesh, India

 

 

INTRODUCTION

The term traditional medicine is used to explain the traditional medical practice that has been in existence even before the advent of modern medicine. It is widely used accepted and used in the prevention and treatment of physical and mental treatment and as well as social imbalance ¹. Vegetable medicine is so prominent that it has emerged in the control of this aspect of medicine. Their control is reputable since it arises from a thorough knowledge of the medicinal properties of plants and the pharmaceutical steps necessary in turning such plants into drugs. Apart from herbal substances, minerals such as (clay, silt, and stone) and many other substances have been used in various proportions as raw materials in indigenous pharmaceutical practice². The disease has been a scourge and threat to humanity over the years. Individuals of various social starting points have utilized different natural plants, plant separates, creature items, and minerals as a means of caring for, curing, and treating diseases with disease prevention and health promotion, since prehistoric times. Traditional Medicine encompasses the ways to protect and restore health that existed before the introduction of Orthodox Medicine (OM) in World Health Organization. And beliefs involving medicinal products based on plants, animals, and/or minerals, spiritual therapies, manual techniques, and exercises used individually or in combination to maintain well-being, as well as to treat diseases, diagnose, or prevent it ³. TM is the world's oldest form of medical care, used for the prevention and treatment of physical and mental illnesses. It is also known as complementary and alternative medicine or ethnic medicine, and it continues to play an important role in many countries today. The "modern" drug era began in the early nineteenth century. 

Friedrich Sertürner, a young German pharmacist, isolated the first pharmacologically active ingredient, morphine, from the opium plant in 1805, and the active ingredients have been separated from the natural substances, some of which follow their traditional use and others do not. That the use of certain natural products for medicinal purposes could be outright prohibited. Natural constant use, on the other hand. Natural products have greatly aided the development of certain types of drugs, such as cancer, antihypertensive, and anti-migraine medications.⁴. Therefore, the term "modern medicine" has been used in this article, which includes the use of non-homeopathic remedies in the form of medicines and surgery to cure diseases and illnesses based on modern scientific research. It incorporates the use of X-rays and laboratory tests in diagnosing diseases and diseases not practiced by traditional healers. In addition, an integrated health care system includes a combination of modern and traditional medicine for the treatment of all kinds of diseases and ailments⁵. There seem to be limited to the development of new drugs based exclusively on modern technologies. Since the 1980s, the pharmaceutical industry has tended to use high throughput synthesis and drug development based on combinatorial chemistry in developing new drugs/medicines. In the past twelve years, more attention has been paid to natural products. Combining new technologies such as high-throughput screening to find products with new active ingredients. Natural substances grown over millions of years have unique chemical diversity, resulting in a variety of biological activities and drug-like properties⁶.

Natural products have a wide variety of multi-dimensional chemical structures; meanwhile, the usefulness of natural products as modifiers of biological function has also received considerable attention. They were then used successfully in the discovery of new drugs and had a major impact on chemical biology⁷. Accurately capturing the perception of people about traditional medicine will provide a better estimate of their likelihood to use traditional medicines. This will, in turn, help to inform health care professionals and other concerned bodies about the level of influence for traditional medicine in the adolescent and young adult population; information that is currently not known. An appreciation of the level of demand is particularly important when considering the need for integrative care models and studies aimed at utilization patterns⁸.

Need for the study

The purpose of this study is to assess the aged people's insight regarding modern medicine and traditional medicine and finding how much the geriatrics trust traditional medicine. Generally, nowadays people are not aware of traditional medicines even if they are inexpensive when compared to modern drugs.  So we conducted this study to know the knowledge of aged peoples on traditional medicine and to know their insight regarding both modern medicine and traditional medicine, which will be a great help to the future generations.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Our study was to evaluate the aged population's insight regarding traditional medicine and modern medicine. It was a prospective study with duration of three months from February 2021 to April 2021. The study was conducted in the population in and around Vijayawada. A total of 400 samples were collected. We used a convenient sampling method. The population was interviewed with a simple questionnaire regarding insight on traditional medicine and modern medicine. Besides demographics, it contains questions addressing knowledge (difference between traditional medicine and modern medicine.), questions about their usage, side effects, effectiveness.

Inclusion criteria

1.     Age group of 40 to above 60 years.

2. Patients with disease and healthy individuals are considered ⁹.

Exclusion criteria

1. Age below 40 years
2. Patients with a psychological disorder ¹⁰.

Ethics

Participants provided informed consent before being included in the study and were notified that they could quit the study at any time. As almost all the aged people are illiterate, participants gave their informed oral consent ¹¹.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

By using the questionnaire, the total patients (N= 400) were interviewed, different ages of people were included(40 to above 60).40-50 age group 33.5%, 51-60 age group 40%, above 60 age group 26.5% were involved. Male 52.3%, Female 47.8% were involved. A standard survey form/data collection sheet was used [Table 1].

 

 

 

Table 1: Questionnaire for aged population regarding modern medicine and traditional medicine

Questions	Options	N Value
Age Groups	40 – 50	134 (33.5%)
	51 – 60	160 (40%)
	Above 60	106 (26.5%)
2) Gender	Male	209(52.3%)
	Female	191(47.7%)
3) Do you use any plant-based medicines, Ayurveda, or any other traditional medicines	YES	278 (69.5%)
	NO	122 (30.5%)
4) Are traditional medicines effective in reducing the problems	YES	221(55.3%)
	NO	115(28.7%)
	MAYBE	64(16%)
5) Have you ever shifted to traditional medicine from modern medicines	YES	109(27.3%)
	NO	90(22.5%)
	OFTEN	149(37.3%)
	Use both simultaneously	52(13%)
6) Does traditional medicine cause any side effects?	YES	85(21.3%)
	NO	238 (59.5%)
	MAYBE	77(19.3)
7) Which medicine do you prefer, traditional or modern?	Modern	66(16.5%)
	Traditional	144(36%)
	Both based on availability	190(47.5%)
8) Which medicines cause more side effects?	Modern	254(63.5%)
	Traditional	146(36.5%)
9) Is traditional medicine available easily in your location?	YES	255(63.7%)
	NO	145(36.3%)
10) Has anyone suggested you use traditional medicine for better results?	YES	283(70.8%)
	NO	117(29.3%)
11) Do you suggest traditional medicine for others?	YES	308(77%)
	NO	92(23%)

 

Figure 1: Do you use any plant-based medicines, Ayurveda, or any other traditional medicines

Figure 2: Is traditional medicine available easily in your location

Figure 3: Which medicine you prefer traditional or modern

Figure 4: Are traditional medicines effective in reducing problems

Figure 5: Have you ever shifted to traditional medicine from modern medicines

 

 

In this study, we observed that 69.5% use different types of traditional medicines like plant-based Ayurveda and the remaining 30.5% do not use any type of traditional medicine [Figure 1]. In the total population of the sample (n=400), 33.5% are between 40- 50, 40% are from 51 to 60, and the remaining 26.5% are above 60.Nearly half of the total sample are males with 52.3%, females with 47.8% and includes. Generally, these samples are collected from different locations like in and around Vijayawada. Populations in these places include both literate and illiterate people. According to our study, the majority of illiterates are found in different places. According to these people in different locations confirmed that traditional medicine is easily available in their locations. Around 63.7% of the population has easy availability of traditional medicine in their locations and the remaining 36.3% are not [Figure 2]. Similarly, people trust and prefer traditional medicine, nearly 36% of the population use traditional medicine and only 16.5 % trust modern medicine but most of the population purchase the medications based on the availability of 47.5% [Figure 3]. Generally, both of them are effective in reducing problems but most of them nearly 55.3% believe that traditional medicines are also effective in reducing problems, and 16% had an opinion that they may be effective [Figure 4]. 63.5% of the people believe that modern medicines cause more side effects when compared to traditional medicine.

According to the study, patient’s use different types of modern medicine for years but some of them nearly 27.3% shifted to traditional medicine from modern medicine, 37.3% of the people are often shifting to both of them (traditional to modern and from modern to traditional), and 13% of the populations use both of them simultaneously (both at a time) [Figure 5]. People from different locations have different opinions and knowledge regarding traditional and modern medications but 77% of the patients suggests traditional medicine when compared to modern medicine.

CONCLUSION

Our study finds that knowledge and attitude, preference regarding traditional medicine medicines among the aged population was good. Most of them have good opinions, which is a good sign for the development of traditional medicine for future generations. Generally, both of them are effective in reducing problems but most of them nearly 55.3% believe that traditional medicines are also effective in reducing problems, and 16% had an opinion that they may be effective. 63.5% of the people believe that modern medicines cause more side effects when compared to traditional medicine. According to the study, patient’s use different types of modern medicine for years but some of them nearly 27.3% shifted to traditional medicine from modern medicine, 37.3% of the people are often shifting to both of them (traditional to modern and from modern to traditional), and 13% of the populations use both of them simultaneously ( both at a time). This concludes that even though different medicines are available in the market, traditional medicines are highly preferred by the aged people and this is also a good move for our future generations. We directly or indirectly use some type of traditional medicine in our day-to-day life. It is mostly seen in villages or rural areas nowadays.

Acknowledgment: 

We would like to express our sincere gratitude to Dr. Devala Rao Garikapati, Professor & principal of KVSR Siddhartha collage of pharmaceutical sciences, Vijayawada.

Conflict of interest: 

The authors attest that they have no conflict of interest in this study.

Funding support: 

No financial support for the current study.

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