Abstract
Objectives:To determine the prevalence and predictors of self-medication with analgesics among senior medical students and interns in King Abdulaziz University (KAU), Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.Methods:A cross-sectional study was conducted among 504 participants in 2013. A multistage stratified random sampling was used. A confidential, anonymous & self-administered questionnaire was used to collect personal & socio-demographic data. Data about self-medication and self-medication with analgesics during the preceding 6 months were also inquired. Both descriptive and analytical statistics were done by SPSS version 18 & Epi-Info.Results:During the 6 months preceding the study, 75.2% and 55.4% of participants used self -medication & analgesic self-medication, respectively. The first predictor of utilization of analgesic self-medication was living with family (aOR; 1.96, 95% CI: 1.22-3.14), followed by age >21 years & non- professional jobs of fathers.Conclusion:Alarming high rates of self medication and self-medication with analgesics were observed among medical students and interns. Self-medication needs improvement through educational, regulatory and managerial strategies.
Highlights
Self-medication with Over-the-Counter (OTC) drugs is a worldwide public health problem[1] which is more experienced in developing countries.[2]
Table-I shows that analgesics were the most frequently (55.4%) self-medication used by medical students and interns
Table-I: Therapeutic classes of self-medication used by medical students and interns in King Abdulaziz University
Summary
Self-medication with Over-the-Counter (OTC) drugs is a worldwide public health problem[1] which is more experienced in developing countries.[2]. It was illustrated that the increase of OTC medication was influenced by many factors like age, sex, medication knowledge, previous experience of disease, non-seriousness of illness.[5,7,8,9] Medications usually obtained from home as a left-over, from pharmacies and from family members.[10,11]. Self-medication increases the chance of illegal drug use, dependence and masking the underlying [Epub ahead of print] Self-medication with analgesics among medical students & interns disease which lead to public health complication, generate drug resistance and impede diagnosis.[12] Governments and health authorities have to make sure that self-medication is performed in a responsible manner, and lay the foundation of that only safe drugs are made available OTC and that patients are given sufficient information regarding drug use, their contraindication and side effects.[13]
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