Abstract
Background: Worldwide practice of self-medication is increasing and due to lackof awareness emphasis is put on counseling of general public. Aim: To assess the practices ofself-medication among general public. Design: Descriptive cross sectional study. Place andduration of study: Fauji Foundation Hospital, Rawalpindi from February 2015 to September2015. Methods: Two hundred and fifty five attendants accompanying patients in general OPDof Fauji Foundation Hospital completed a self-administered questionnaire translated in urdulanguage for this study. Results: Out of 255 study participants, 168 (or 65.9%) practiced selfmedication.The prevalence was found highest among 25 to 38 years old (70.2%) and wasalmost equally distributed in males 65 (65.65%) and females 103 (66.02%). The main reasonsfor self-medication were lack of time (43.45%), and high doctor fee (35.71%).Factors influencingthis practice were age, employment, income and the education level. Conclusions: The studyrevealed that prevalence of self-medication was high among study population. Majority ofrespondents practiced self-medication for minor ailments and to get quick relief, or to avoidhigh doctor fee. Pharmacies are a big source of providing drugs for self-medication. Thereis need for healthcare professionals to educate the general public about the hazards ofinappropriate medicine use, and there should be restrictions on over-the-counter sale of drugswithout doctor’s prescription.
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