Prevalence of Self-Medication with Antibiotics Among Bahri University Medical Students, Sudan 2022

Abstract

<i>Background</i>: Antibiotics are medications that eliminate life threating infections from the body. It’s one of the most reported medications that used without doctor’s prescription. The prevalence of self-medication with antibiotics is quite high in developing countries as opposed to developed countries. It is linked with negative outcomes on individual and community health. In addition to its central part in increasing the global problem of antibiotic resistance. In Sudan, despite the overall acceptable level of knowledge regarding antibiotic resistance. Few studies have been carried out to assess prevalence of self-medication. <i>Objective</i>: To evaluate the prevalence of self-medication with Antibiotics among fourth- and fifth-year medical students at University of Bahri. <i>Method</i>: This is a descriptive cross-sectional study. Conducted among 226 medical students. Selected from fourth- and fifth-year medical students at university of Bahri using google form questionnaire. Then analyzed by using SPSS (statistical package for social science) version 25. <i>Result</i>: We found in this study approximately 82.7% of 4th and 5th year medical students at University of Bahri are using antibiotics without prescription. Amoxicillin and azithromycin are the most two common utilized antibiotics without prescription. In addition, we found the main sources of information and knowledge about appropriate dose regarding the self-medication with antibiotics are the academic experience more than (26%) and pharmacist recommendation more than (50.4%). And we found the awareness of the adverse effects of antibiotics without prescription demonstrated by 85.4% of the students. <i>Conclusion</i>: The study concludes that prevalence of self-medication with antibiotics among 4th and 5th year medical students at University of Bahri is high, despite of their awareness of adverse effects.