The prevalence and detriments of self-medication; a school-related experience in Makkah city, Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the prevalence and detriments of self-medication among school students and teachers in Makkah city, Saudi Arabia. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted through an online previously validated self-administered questionnaire, which was distributed to school teachers and students in Makkah city from August 2022 to November 2022. Results: The study included 399 participants, and more than half of them had frequent use of self-medication (n = 211, 52.88%). Medications used by the participants mostly were analgesics (n = 168, 42.1%), followed by eye drops (n = 45, 11.3%) Conclusion: Investigating the level of knowledge about self-medication is strongly recommended. In addition to raising awareness of self-medication by establishing numerous programs and campaigns.