FACTORS RELATED TO THE PRACTICE OF SELLING LIMITED
RESTRICTED OTC DRUGS IN SMALL SHOPS IN NORTH OBA DISTRICT
IN 2025
Sulviati Fidia Ningsih1.
Sitti Hartinah2.
Mardia Habel3.
Bumi Hijrah University Tidore Public Health.
Faculty of Health Sciences Public Health.
Faculty of Health Sciences Corresponding Email: hartinatitin16@gmail.
ABSTRACT
Keywords Based on data obtained from the Tidore Islands City Health Office, an inspection was conducted on small shop in several areas of North Oba District The inspection results showed that of the 96 small shop in North Oba District, 74 .
%) were found to be selling restricted OTC despite not having a permit as a legal OTC small shops.
The purpose of this study was to determine the factors related to the practice of selling restricted OTC in small This type of research is an analytic survey with the approach used in this research being cross-sectional.
The population in this study was 268 business owners .
mall shop owner.
The sample was taken using the Slovin resulting in 73 people.
There are four variables that have a relationship with the practice of selling restricted over-the-counter drugs: knowledge .
= .
, social environment .
= 0.
, economy .
= 0.
, supervision .
= 0.
The knowledge of business actors and residents in the social environment greatly influences the practice of selling restricted OTC by business actors in small shops.
Poor knowledge of both sellers and buyers about the dangers of restricted OTC sold without a doctor's prescription is still very high.
In addition, low economic conditions and government supervision of the distribution of restricted OTC in small shops without official permits are among the factors that continue to be widespread in the practice of selling restricted OTC.
Environment.
Economy.
Knowledge.
Practices .
Supervision.
Sales.
International Journal of Nursing and Midwifery Science (IJNMS).
Volume 9.
Issue 3.
December 2025 INTRODUCTION .
However, public knowledge about appropriate drug use remains limited.
The 2023 Indonesian Health Survey (SKI) revealed that only 45.
6% of individuals who purchased medicines without a doctorAos prescription received or sought information about the limited OTC drugs they bought.
The government has established regulations, including Minister of Health Regulation No.
14 of 2021, which prohibit the sale of drugs in unlicensed shops to ensure medicines are distributed only through authorized outlets.
Despite this, enforcement challenges persist.
Data from the Tidore Islands City Health Office .
reported that 74 out of 96 .
%) small shops in North Oba District sold limited OTC drugs without legal authorization.
This increase in unsupervised drug sales poses significant risks to consumer safety, including inappropriate use, overdoses, unmonitored drug interactions, and even drug use for conditions that should be monitored by healthcare professionals.
This situation is increasingly important to investigate because there is currently no specific data available on the level of limited OTC drug sales, the characteristics of sellers, or the factors influencing these practices in the North Oba.
There is a specific gap in the existing literature, namely the lack of studies that examine the factors influencing the sale of limited (OTC) medicines in small community kiosks, particularly in island regions such as Oba Utara.
Variable Operational Definition Previous predominantly focused on pharmacies and licensed drugstores, leaving a significant absence of empirical evidence regarding the characteristics of kiosk sellers, their level of knowledge about medication safety, the economic motivations that drive these practices, and the impact of weak local regulatory oversight.
This absence of localized data highlights the urgent need to conduct the study in 2025.
Three nursing theories regarding the practice of selling limited OTC drugs in small shops are Dorothea Orem's Self-Care Theory of self-care capacity.
Health Belief Model (HBM) of behavioral decisionmaking Florence Nightingale's Environmental Theory of community environmental influences, these nursing theories are an important conceptual basis for viewing problems holistically while supporting the design of community nursing-based interventions.
METHOD
The research was conducted among small business owners .
mall shop owner.
in North Oba District.
Tidore Islands City.
The population consisted of all small shop owners operating in the North Oba District, resulting in a total of 73 These respondents were the owners of small shops that sell or potentially sell limited over-the-counter (OTC) drugs.
Operational Definitions table Instrument Behaviors or actions performed by Practice of Limited small shop owners in conducting Observation Over-the-Counter the sale of limited OTC drugs in Sheet (OTC) Drug Sales their establishments.
Knowledge The level of understanding possessed by shop owners regarding regulations or policies established by the government.
Questionnaire Data Scale Criteria & Scores Selling: if observation shows the presence of limited OTC drugs being sold.
Not Nominal Selling: if observation shows no limited OTC drugs being Nominal Good: score Ou 30 Poor:
score < 30 International Journal of Nursing and Midwifery Science (IJNMS).
Volume 9.
Issue 3.
December 2025 Instrument Data Scale Criteria & Scores Social conditions surrounding the shop owner that either support or Social Environment hinder the practice of selling limited OTC drugs.
Questionnaire Nominal Supportive: score Ou 30 Not Supportive: score < 30 Economic Motivation Motivation arising from financial gain obtained through selling limited OTC drugs, which may influence habitual behaviors of shop owners.
Questionnaire Nominal High: score Ou 30 Low: score
< 30
Supervision Actions carried out by government authorities or the local community aimed at regulating and controlling Questionnaire the distribution of limited OTC
Nominal High: score Ou 30 Low: score
< 30
Variable Operational Definition particularly Ministry of Health Regulation No.
14 of 2021.
RESULTS
Table 1.
Knowledge and the Practice of Limited Over-the-Counter (OTC) Drug Sales by Business Actors in North Oba District in Practice of OTC Drug Sales Knowl
Not Selling Total
Selling Val
n % n %` N % Good
1 43, 1 56, 3 10
Poor
3 81, 8 18, 4 10 0,00
Total
4 65, 2 34, 7 10
Based on the data in Table 1 above, it can be seen that the number of business actors with poor knowledge and 49 practicing limited over-the-counter drug sales in North Oba District is 35 people .
,4%).
This number is greater when compared to business actors who have good knowledge and do not sell limited over-thecounter drugs, which is 17 people .
,7%).
When viewed from the chi-square statistical test value through p value = 0.
< .
, it can be concluded that there is a statistically significant relationship between knowledge and the practice of limited over- the-counter drug sales by business actors in North Oba District.
Table 2.
Social Environment and the Practice of Limited Over-the-Counter Drug Sales by Business Actors in North
Oba District, 2025
Practice of OTC Drug Sales Social
Not Selling Total
Environ
Selling n % n %` N % Supporti 3 77 1 22 3 10
8 ,6 1 ,4
Not 1 41 1 58 4 10
Supporti 0 ,7 4 ,3 Total
4 65 2 34 7 10
8 ,8 5 ,5
Val Based on the data in Table 2 above, it can be seen that the number of business actors with a less supportive social environment and carrying out the practice of selling limited over-the-counter drugs in North Oba District is 38 people .
,6%).
This number is greater when compared to business actors with a non-supportive social International Journal of Nursing and Midwifery Science (IJNMS).
Volume 9.
Issue 3.
December 2025 environment and not selling limited overthe-counter drugs, namely 14 people .
,3%).
When viewed from the chi-square statistical test value through p value = 0.
< 0.
, it can be concluded that there is a statistically significant relationship between the social environment and the practice of selling limited over-the-counter drugs by business actors in North Oba District.
Table 3.
Economic Status and the Practice of Limited Over-the-Counter Drug Sales by Business Actors in North Oba District.
Econo
Status
High
Low
Total
Practice of OTC Drug Sales Not Selling Total
Selling n % n %` N % 1 37, 1 62, 2 10
3 84, 7 51, 4 10
4 65, 2 34, 7 10
Val
0,00
business actors with high economic factors and not selling limited over-the-counter drugs, which is 18 people .
,1%).
If seen from the value of the chi-square statistical test through p value = 0.
< 0.
it can be concluded that there is a statistically significant relationship between the economy and the practice of selling limited over-the-counter drugs by business actors in North Oba District.
Table 4.
Supervision and the Practice of Limited Over-the-Counter Drug Sales by Business Actors in North Oba District.
Practice of OTC Drug Sales Superv Not Sellin Sellin Total Val N % n % N % ue Good Poor Total Based on the data in table 4.
it can be seen that the number of business actors with poor supervision and carrying out the practice of selling limited over-thecounter drugs in North Oba District is 37 people .
,1%).
This number is greater than the number of business actors with poor supervision and not selling limited over-thecounter drugs, which is 18 people .
,1%).
If seen from the value of the chi-square statistical test through p value = 0.
< .
, it can be concluded that there is a statistically significant relationship between supervision and the practice of selling limited over-the-counter drugs by business actors in North Oba District.
DISCUSSION
The results of the study showed that 35 respondents .
4%) had poor knowledge and engaged in restricted over-the-counter drug sales in North Oba District.
Furthermore, 13 respondents .
3%) had good knowledge but continued to engage in restricted over-the-counter drug sales in small shops.
Statistical tests showed a significant correlation between business actors' knowledge and the practice of restricted over-the-counter drug sales in small shops.
This suggests that violations of the regulations on the distribution of restricted over-the-counter drugs are closely related to business actors' knowledge of these regulations.
Research by Hidayati .
shows that over 40% of drug sellers in grocery stores don't fully understand the International Journal of Nursing and Midwifery Science (IJNMS).
Volume 9.
Issue 3.
December 2025 side effects of the medications they sell.
This poses a risk not only to consumers but also to the grocery store's reputation.
Respondents with supportive social environments who practice limited over-thecounter drug sales at small stalls in North Oba District were 38 people .
6%).
addition, there were 10 people .
7%) with unsupportive social environments who still practice limited over-the-counter drug sales at small stalls.
After conducting a chi-square statistical test, it was found that there was a significant relationship between the social environment and the practice of limited over-the-counter drug sales at small stalls in North Oba District.
This indicates that violations of the rules on the distribution of limited over-the-counter drugs are closely related to the social environmental factors of the community around the business.
Thirty-seven respondents .
stated that low economic status was one of the reasons for carrying out the practice of selling over-the-counter drugs limited to small shops even without official permission from the government.
Furthermore, 11 respondents .
9%) stated that despite having a high economic status, they still carried out the practice of selling over-thecounter drugs limited to small shops.
After conducting a chi-square statistical test, it was found that there was a significant relationship between economic status and the practice of selling limited over-thecounter drugs in North Oba District.
According to Law No.
17 of 2023, regulations governing drug distribution in Indonesia are increasingly stringent, yet illegal practices remain widespread.
In this context, it is important to understand how economic factors contribute to the practice of selling unlicensed drugs.
In Indonesia, with a population of over 270 million, the demand for medicines, including limited over-the-counter drugs, is very high.
Data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) shows that the health sector, including pharmaceuticals, contributes approximately 5% of the national Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
This indicates a large market potential, which is often exploited by unscrupulous parties to sell unlicensed Thirty-seven respondents .
stated that inadequate officer supervision was one of the reasons for carrying out the practice of limited over-the-counter drug sales in small shops even without official government permits.
Furthermore, 11 .
supervision was good but still carried out the practice of limited over-the-counter drug sales in small shops.
A chi-square statistical test revealed a significant relationship between supervision and the practice of limited over-the-counter drug sales in North Oba District.
According to Law No.
17 of 2023, the government is required to increase the capacity of human resources in the field of drug and food supervision.
Furthermore, the use of information technology in supervision can also be an effective solution.
With an application-based reporting system, the public can easily report illegal drug sales CONCLUSIONS Based on the results of the statistical test analysis in this study, it can be environment, economics, and supervision factors have a significant relationship with the practice of selling limited over-thecounter drugs in small shops in North Oba District.
This indicates that the better the level of knowledge of business actors, the more positive the supportive social environment, stable economic conditions, and the existence of optimal supervision, the practice of selling limited over-the-counter drugs will be more in accordance with applicable regulations.
The results of the International Journal of Nursing and Midwifery Science (IJNMS).
Volume 9.
Issue 3.
December 2025 study confirm that efforts to increase compliance in the sale of limited over-thecounter drugs need to involve various aspects that influence the behavior of business actors at the community level.
REFERENCES