Efficacy of etofenamate gel used for knee pain in the opinions of patients and pharmacists delivering minor ailment services in community pharmacy

Background.Osteoarthritis of the knee is a common cause of knee pain and can be associated with significant disability.Topical treatment with etofenamate gel may be effective in relieving knee pain.Objectives.The objective of the study was to assess the efficacy of etofenamate gel used for knee pain from the perspectives of patients and pharmacists.Material and methods.The study was conducted by 10 pharmacists in 20 randomly selected community pharmacies in Poland between December 2023 and April 2024.Data were collected during three patient visits: Visit 1 (baseline), Visit 2 (after 7 days of treatment), and Visit 3 (14 days after the baseline visit).Etofenamate was applied topically to the painful knee 3-4 times daily for 14 days.The VAS scale, KOOS questionnaire, and General Pharmacist Assessment were used to evaluate the outcomes.A total of 158 patients with knee pain participated in the study.Results.Initially, patients most commonly rated their pain intensity at levels 6 and 7 in the last 24 hours (24.46% and 29.50%, respectively) and at levels 5 and 6 in the past week (23.02% and 25.18%).Ultimately, 84.89% of patients reported improvement or significant improvement, which was confirmed by objective assessments from the researchers (pharmacists).Etofenamate was highly rated for ease of application, absorption speed, feeling of freshness, odor, and non-greasy feel.Conclusions.Etofenamate gel proved to be an effective treatment for reducing knee pain in patients.