(P-397) Medicines Use by Professors at a Brazilian Public University During the covid-19 Pandemic: Findings and Implications

Background: As a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, universities had to adapt to remote education, respecting the social distance, a measure that brought sudden routine changes in everyone who was involved in the academic context.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the profile of medicines use by professors of a Brazilian public university during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Methods: Cross-sectional study with snowball data collection between July and August 2020. All professors of aThe Federal University of Ouro Preto, a Brazilian public university, were invited to answer an online and self-administered questionnaire with sociodemographic questions, medicine use, mental health and lifestyle habits after the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic. The outcome variable was the use of medicines. Descriptive, bivariate and multivariate statistical analysis were performed. The survey obtained ethical approval and consent from all participants.

Results: There was the participation of 213 professors in the study. The use of medicine was reported by 32% of them, with nervous and cardiovascular system medicines being the most used. In total, the use of 119 medicines has been reported, and for 37 (31,1%) the use started after the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. Among these, nervous system medicines were the most reported and the pharmacological classes most cited were: antiepileptics and antidepressants. A family income of six or more minimum wage, suicide attempt and physical activity practices were associated with the use of medicines among university professors.

Conclusions: The results of this study highlight the high prevalence of psycotropic medicines use among professors at an important Public University in Brazil. The high use of medicines for the maintenance and treatment of mental health is a common response to moments of crisis, such as the Covid-19 pandemic. Educational institutions should seek to get to know their workers and carry out pharmaceutical counseling on the rational medicines use during and after the Covid-19 pandemic.