Increased frequency of rhinitis medicamentosa due to media advertising for nasal topical decongestants

Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the frequency of rhinitis medicamentosa (RM) in patients attending the ENT outpatient clinic of the General Hospital of Rethymnon (Crete, Greece) before and after the launch of an intensive nasal decongestant advertising campaign in Greece. Methods: We reviewed the medical records of the patients with RM seen at the ENT outpatient clinic in May, June and July of 2003 and 2006. We analyzed and recorded the gender, age, and related clinical information of the patients with RM. Results: In May, June and July of 2003, 41 patients out of a total of 1780 patients attending the ENT outpatient clinic were diagnosed with RM (2.3%). In the same months in 2006, 161 patients out a total of 1898 patients were diagnosed with RM (8.5%). The frequency of RM in these groups was therefore found to have increased significantly between 2003 and 2006. In 2006, 8 out of 10 patients with RM reported that they had made their purchasing decision solely on the basis of the information supplied by the drug advertisement without consulting their doctor or pharmacist. Conclusion: We suggest that the intensive media advertising campaign for nasal topical decongestants (particularly on TV) which started in 2004 is probably the main reason for this “endemic” RM.