Double Trouble: The Effect of Violent Conflict on the Abuse and Misuse of Prescription and Non-prescription Medicine in the MENA Region

Violent conflict has a profound and detrimental effect on public health when civilians are injured, diseases spread and health infrastructures collapse. This project builds upon previous collaboration between members of the research team to investigate an often-neglected aspect of public health during conflicts: the impact of violent conflict on the abuse and misuse of prescription and non-prescription medicines ('drugs') amongst local populations. It combines conflict studies and medical sociology to understand the impact of different forms of violent conflict on patterns and levels of drug abuse/misuse in four MENA region countries: Iraq, Libya, the Syrian Arab Republic and Yemen. The study will use a quantitative survey and semi-structured interviews with community pharmacists to gather data about pharmacists' experiences, perceptions and responses to drug abuse/misuse in conflict societies. The results and recommendations for more effective identification and management will be disseminated to non-academic user audiences in the public health infrastructure of the countries involved.

Dr Christina Steenkamp, Oxford Brookes University; Professor Mayyada Wazaify, The University of Jordan, Jordan