USE OF INFOGRAPHIC TO RISE AWARENESS ABOUT THE DANGERS OF OFF LABEL DRUG USE DURING THE PANDEMIC

Abstract

COVID-19 is the most serious public health problem today and does not have regulated pharmacological treatment. The off-label use of drugs is characterized by their administration in a way that differs from the recommendations in the package insert, and occurs in specific situations. In the Brazilian context of confronting COVID-19, the off-label use of drugs was encouraged by fake news. However, the inappropriate use of drugs is an unethical practice and favors the occurrence of adverse effects. The objective of this work was to produce teaching material with information on the impacts of the off-label use of drugs on public health. After lectures on the topic, undergraduate Pharmacy enrolled in the Clinical Biochemistry at the Maria Milza University Center (UNIMAM) created an infographic with the help of the Canvas´s tool. An online form was applied to assess the quality of the material produced and the contribution of the proposed activity in the training of these undergraduates. The present work raised a discussion about the importance of Pharmaceutical Care, especially in the fight against fake news about anti-COVID therapies, in addition to alerting about the problems arising from the irrational use of drugs in the pandemic period and for the post-pandemic period.