Assessment of knowledge, attitude, and practice on over-the-counter drugs among medical and nursing students: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background: As future health-care practitioners’, self-medication assumes special importance among MBBS, nursing, and paramedical students. They are the ones who differ from the general population due to their exposure to the disease and drugs. The idea of conducting the present study was due to the scarcity of data regarding knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) of over-the-counter (OTC) drugs among them. Aims and Objectives: The aim of this study was to check KAP regarding OTC drug use among medical and nursing students and also to know the different reasons for self-medication and influences regarding their choice for the same. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was done including medical and nursing students for time duration of 6 months from January to May 2023. A well-designed, pre-validated questionnaire with various items on a Likert scale was distributed to medical and nursing students all over Maharashtra via Google Forms, sharing links through the contacts of the medical and nursing students' association of Maharashtra. Descriptive statistical analysis was used. Results: A total of 161 students (102 medical, 59 nursing) took part in the present study. Most of the students (84.4%) practiced self-medication. Fever and headache (56.4%), followed by cough and common cold (27.5%), are the most common illness for which students self-medicate. One of the most common reasons students have been found to self-medicate was found to be refusal to spend time seeing a doctor for minor illness (64.5%). Conclusion: There is an extensive habit of self-medication among MBBS and nursing students. Lack of understanding regarding the proper use of medications, their storage, expiry, action to be taken in case of side effects, and increasing the dose of medication when symptoms are not subsiding were some of the significant problems found.