Self-medication practice among preclinical university students in a medical school from the city of Pokhara, Nepal.

Annavarapu Amarendra,Rajesh Kumar Gupta,Archana Saha,Bedanta Roy,Pugazhandhi Bakthavatchalam,Indrajit Banerjee,Indraneel Banerjee,Brijesh Sathian

doi:10.3126/nje.v6i2.15165

Abstract

Background: In developing countries like Nepal medicines can be acquired from the chemist's without of a prescription which sometime may have many drawbacks due to intake of excessive drugs without a proper diagnosis. The primary objective of the study was to find out the pattern of self-medication practice among the preclinical medical students at Manipal College of Medical Sciences. Materials and Methods: This was a cross sectional study carried out using structured questionnaire at Manipal College of Medical Sciences, Pokhara, Nepal between November 2012- July 2014. Results: The overall response rate of this study was 95.31%. 81.35% of the students were practicing self-medication in this institution. Most common group of drugs that were consumed were antipyretics 31%, antibiotics 26.2%, analgesics 18.89%, antihistaminics 10.1% respectively. Paracetamol was the most common drug used for self-medication 31%, followed by Azithromycin 17.6% and combination of Paracetamol and Ibuprofen 15.6%, Cetirizine 8.6%, Amoxicillin 6.5%, Omeprazole 6.3%, Albendazole 3.3%, Mefenemic acid 2.8%, Cefpodoxime2% respectively. Conclusion: Medical student should be educated through awareness programme regarding pros and cons of self-medication practice and they should be motivated regarding the rationale use of antibiotics. .

Highlights

In developing countries like Nepal medicines can be acquired from the chemist's without of a prescription which sometime may have many drawbacks due to intake of excessive drugs without a proper diagnosis
Among the drugs Paracetamol was the most common drug used for self-medication 31%, trailed by Azithromycin 17.6% and a combination of Paracetamol and Ibuprofen 15.6%, Cetirizine 8.6%, Amoxicillin 6.5%, Omeprazole 6.3% respectively
This could be due to the fact that the number of Indian and Nepalese students are more in the institution as compared to Srilankan and Maldivian students in this institution

Summary

Introduction

In developing countries like Nepal medicines can be acquired from the chemist's without of a prescription which sometime may have many drawbacks due to intake of excessive drugs without a proper diagnosis. Availability of medicines and lack of governing control over Inclusion criteria: Out of 512 preclinical medical students the selling of the drugs non doctor prescription and self- participated in the study 488 students completed the medication is a common problem in Nepal [2]. In developing questionnaire completely and their responses were assessed countries like Nepal medicines can be acquired from the which gives a response rate of the research 95.31%. Chemist's without of a prescription which sometime may have Exclusion criteria: 12 questionnaires were rejected based on many drawbacks due to intake of excessive drugs without a the incomplete filling of the form and absence of the students proper diagnosis.

Objectives

Results

Conclusion