Common Reason For Self-medication Research Articles

Assessment of self-medication practices and safety profile of medicines utilisation among pregnant women attending antenatal clinics in Freetown, Sierra Leone: a multicentre cross-sectional study.

Despite the potential foetal and maternal risks of self-medication, studies on self-medication practice and the safety profile of medicines used during pregnancy are scarce in our setting. This study determined the self-medication practice and safety profile of medicines used among pregnant women. This cross-sectional study was conducted in face-to-face interviews among 345 pregnant women at three hospitals in Sierra Leone. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression to determine the prevalence and associated factors of self-medication. A total of 345 pregnant women participated in the study. The prevalence of self-medication prevalence among pregnant women with conventional and/or herbal medicine was 132 (38.3%). Also, 93 (75%) of the conventional medicines (CMs) were categorised as probably safe, of which paracetamol 36 (29.0%) was commonly used, followed by amoxicillin 23 (18.5%) and antimalarials 22 (17.7%) for common illnesses such as headache 30 (25.4%), urinary tract infection 23 (19.4%) and malaria 22 (18.6%). The most common reason for self-medication was previous experience with the disease 24 (27.3%). Luffa acutangula 19 (30.2%) was the most used herbal medicine (HM), and Oedema 30 (47.6%) was the most reported ailment. Among the HM users, 34 (54.0%) believe they are more effective than CMs. Secondary school education (AOR = 2.128, 95%CI = 1.191-3.804, p = 0.011), tertiary education (AOR = 2.915, 95%CI = 1.104-7.693, p = 0.031), monthly income of greater than NLe 1,000 (AOR = 4.084, 95% CI = 1.269-13.144, p = 0.018), and perceived maternal illness (AOR = 0.367, CI = 0.213-0.632, p = <0.001) were predictors of self-medication. Self-medication practice was highly prevalent and was associated with educational status, monthly income, and perceived maternal illness during pregnancy. Therefore, intervention programmes should be designed and implemented to minimise the practice and risk associated with self-medication among pregnant women.

A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY TO ASSESS SELF-MEDICATION FOR VARIOUS CONDITIONS AMONG MEDICAL, PARAMEDICAL, AND NON-MEDICAL STUDENTS

Objectives: The objectives of the study are to assess the knowledge about self-medication and factors influencing the use of self-medication among 2nd year medical, paramedical, and non-medical students. Methods: A cross-sectional, multicenter study was conducted among 520 students of medical, physiotherapy, nursing, and engineering courses. Students were given a pre-structured questionnaire in e form/physical forms. The responses were collected and analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results: It was found that 63% of students followed self-medication, among which 41% took medication from a chemist. Analgesic and antipyretic (31.8%) followed by cough and cold (23%) medication were the most common group for self-medication. Conclusion: Self-medication is seen more commonly in medical students, especially the hosteller group. The most common reason for self-medication is the easy availability of drugs and the absence of strict regulations.

The prevalence and causes of self-medication among medical university students in Iran during COVID-19 outbreak and its implications for public health and health systems: A cross-sectional study.

Self-medication is a worldwide phenomenon that brings advantages and disadvantages to public health and health systems. This study investigated the extent and causes of self-medication among medical university students and its implications for public health in Iran in 2020. The present study was designed as a descriptive-analytical cross-sectional study that examined the knowledge, attitude, and practice of self-medication. The population of the study was the students of health sciences programs who all entered the study. The data collection tool included a questionnaire designed online and available to students. The content validity ratio of the questionnaire was 0.84, and the alpha Cronbach coefficient was calculated at 0.8936. The prevalence of self-medication among medical university students was 19%. The most common reason for self-medication was the safety of medicines (66.67%). The most usual form of medication used was the tablet (35.67%), the most common drug taken was acetaminophen (69.01%), and the most common disease to self-medicate for was headache (67.36%). Estimating the odds ratio of self-medication with demographic variables showed no relationship. However, after adjusting the variables, age and type of degree showed an association with self-medication, as the older participants and postgraduate students had positive attitudes toward self-medication. Self-medication may be helpful, but it often needs proper guidance and logic and can carry various risks. Considering that medical sciences students will be influential in society in the future, it is necessary to pay more attention to correcting their drug use culture and providing access to health services for everyone. Appropriate prescription of medicines, controlling drug sales in pharmacies, highlighting the role of pharmacists in safe self-medication, and controlling the prevalence of self-medication is necessary.

A Cross-Sectional Study Examining the Behavioral Patterns and Attitudes of First - and Second-Year Medical College Students in West Bengal, India, Regarding Self-Medication

BACKGROUND&#x0D; Self-medication is a pervasive habit, and drug abuse is a severe problem. Since medical students are future doctors, they give it a unique significance. The study's objectives were to assess the practice, knowledge, and attitudes of first- and second-year medical students at a medical college in West Bengal, India, about self-medication.&#x0D; METHODS&#x0D; The study was conducted in Nilratan Sircar Medical College and Hospital, Kolkata, West Bengal. In 2021, medical students across the colleges of West Bengal conducted cross-sectional research using questionnaires. Upon being informed of the objectives and design of the study, first- and second-year MBBS students willingly agreed to participate.&#x0D; RESULTS&#x0D; In this study, 91.50% of medical students practiced self-medication. The common indication for self-medication was fever (89.2%) and headache (69.6%). Previous prescriptions for the same illness (68.87%) were the main source of information for self-medication. Common reasons for self-medication were urgency (53.33%) and quick relief (50%). Over-the-counter (88.14%) drugs were the most common sources of medications. The common preferred system of self-medication was allopathic (92.5%). The percentage of discontinuation (58.1%) of self-medication was more. The majority of them favoured oral (96.67%) media.&#x0D; CONCLUSIONS&#x0D; It was determined that more than half of the student population self-medicated for a wide range of ailments; the cause may be the increased public awareness of drugs brought on by the availability of information via books, the internet, and over-the-counter medications from pharmacists. Therefore, it is crucial to stop students from self-medicating to prevent the emergence of drug habits, resistance, and drug interactions.

Assessment of self-medication practices among educated population of South India – A questionnaire-based study

Background: Self-medication, the practice of individuals diagnosing, obtaining, and administering medications to themselves without professional guidance, has become a pervasive phenomenon with potential implications for public health. This study aims to comprehensively investigate the patterns and perceptions surrounding self-medication among the educated population of South India. Aims and Objectives: The objective of this study was to assess the prevalence of self-medication and predictors associated with self-medication among educated population of south India. Materials and Methods: It is a questionnaire-based cross-sectional study. Participants were degree holders from the states of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Pondicherry, and Andhra Pradesh. Participants were selected through convenient sampling. Data were collected using structured pre-validated questionnaires through a Google Forms link. Data were analyzed using SPSS software version 29.0 and results are expressed as proportions. Results: A total of 300 people were included in the study, among them 54.25% graduates and 45.75% were postgraduates that the prevalence of self-medication was 61.4%. The most common reason for self-medication was minor illness (67.1%). About 54% of study participants used antipyretics for self-medication and the source of information for self-medication was from previous illness 71.4%. Conclusion: The prevalence of self-medication in this study was high. Antimicrobials were not taken for appropriate length of time. It is very important to understand the motivations and perceptions surrounding self-medication for developing targeted interventions, educational programs, and policy measures that promote responsible self-care while safeguarding public health.

Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Toward Self-Medicating Eye Symptoms in Jazan Region

Background: Self-medication with ophthalmic medications is a common practice; however, it raises concerns about the safety and appropriateness of treatment. Therefore, the current study aims to evaluate the knowledge, attitudes, and approaches toward self-medicating eye symptoms in the Jazan region. Methods: An observational cross-sectional study on the population comprises all individuals (aged 18 and up) who can read and write who were now taking or had previously used ophthalmic medicines. Following IRB approval, the questionnaire was distributed on social media to evaluate the aim of the study. Results: The majority of self-medicating ophthalmic medication users were male and aged between 18 and 29. 97.6% of self-medicators admitted to the practice; however, only 24.1% knew the specific type of medication they used. Lubricant eye drops were the most used medication. Eye dryness and redness were the most common symptoms leading to self-medication, with repeated symptoms and the perception of a simple condition being the most common reasons. Conclusion: Self-medication with ophthalmic medications is widespread in the studied population; nevertheless, there needs to be more knowledge about the specific medications used. Symptoms such as eye dryness and redness are common reasons for self-medication, driven by the perception of simplicity and repeated occurrence. Keywords: Self-medication; Eye symptoms; Blurred vision; Eye redness; Eye pain ; Jazan

Practices and drivers of self-medication with antibiotics among undergraduate medical students in Eastern Uganda: A cross-sectional study.

Self-medication with antibiotics remains one of the major drivers of antimicrobial resistance. Practices of self-medication among nursing and medical students have not been explored in our setting. This study sought to determine the prevalence and factors associated with self-medication with antibiotics among undergraduate university students pursuing health-related courses in Eastern Uganda. A descriptive cross-sectional study design was used. The study was done among undergraduate students who were doing undergraduate programs in Nursing, Anesthesia, and medicine at Busitema University. A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data from 326 participants. Descriptive statistics were used in data analysis. The prevalence of self-medication with antibiotics was 93.8% (n = 300) of which 80% were either currently using self-medication or had self-medicated in the past six months. The common reasons for self-medication were the perception that it was a minor illness (55%), previous use of antibiotic (52%), a perception that they were health workers (50%), and the notion that they knew the right antibiotic for their condition (44%). Metronidazole (64%) and amoxicillin (65%) were the most commonly used antibiotics. Self-medication was most common for conditions such as peptic ulcer, diarrhea, and wound infections. Inappropriate drug use was common among participants on self-medication which occurred in the form of multiple use of antibiotics (64.4%, n = 194) and a tendency to switch to other antibiotics (58.5%) mostly because the former antibiotic was perceived not to be an effective treatment. The prevalence of self-medication with antibiotics was high among medical students. Prior use of the antibiotic and having a minor illness were the most common drivers of self-medication. Public health strategies should address the high misuse of antibiotics among medical students to negate the likely consequence of antimicrobial resistance.

A national survey of the antibiotic use, self-medication practices, and knowledge of antibiotic resistance among graduates of tertiary institutions in Nigeria

IntroductionAntimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a growing global public health concern that was directly responsible for 1.27 million deaths and indirectly associated with 4.95 million deaths in 2019. Antibiotic resistance (ABR) occurs naturally, but its prevalence has been accelerated broadly due to antibiotic misuse and overuse, poor infection control practices, and availability of substandard and falsified medicines. ObjectivesTo assess antibiotic use and knowledge of ABR among graduates of tertiary education in Nigeria and evaluate if tertiary education, academic background (science, social sciences, or the arts) and years post-graduation significantly impact antibiotic use and awareness of antibiotic resistance. ResultDespite having tertiary education, 47.7 % of respondents self-medicate with antibiotics, 54.9 % of respondents don't carry out laboratory investigations before using antibiotics, and 70.1 % reduce or stop taking antibiotics on feeling better. Inconvenience, limited access to doctors and financial constraint were the most common reasons for self-medication. Academic background, age, gender and years post-graduation had no statistically significant effect on self-medication practices (p-value>0.05). Inappropriate antibiotic use for viral-infections like sore throat, cold and flu, and diarrhoea was reported in 50.2, 42.6 and 40.2 % of respondents, respectively. Amoxicillin (54.2 %), metronidazole (48.2 %), and ciprofloxacin (45.6 %) were the most used antibiotics. Pharmacists were the most consulted health professionals before antibiotics were used, and the internet is the most common source of information on antibiotic resistance. Most-respondents, 85.5 %, correctly identified that antibiotic misuse contributes to ABR. ConclusionThe increased knowledge and awareness of ABR among respondents did not translate into proper antibiotic use, emphasizing the need for more stringent regulations on antibiotic dispensing and prescribing. Health sector reforms focused on utilizing technology like telemedicine to improve convenient access to health care, and multiple health insurance schemes to reduce out-of-pocket spending should be prioritized to improve health equity and universal health coverage (UHC).

Perceptions And Practices Of Self-Medication Among The Residents Of Western, Nepal

Background: Self-medication is defined as the “The taking of drugs, herbs or some remedies on personal initiative, or on the advice of another person without consulting a physician for the aliment of self-diagnosed physical illness”. Self-medication is practiced throughout the world, including both developing and developed countries. Self-medication includes both risks and benefits. Objectives: To assess the perceptions and practices of self-medication among the residents of Western, Nepal. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 378 respondents aged above 18. Closed ended questionnaire was used as data collection tool. Non-probability purposive sampling method was used for the collection of data. Results: The prevalence of self-medication practices was found to be 76.8%. Friends/Family members/Relatives 34.20%), Past-own experience (23.9%) and Pharmacist (23.5%) were the major source of information for self-medication practices. The most common type of illness for self-medication were Headache (19.7%), Cough and Cold (19.1%) and fever (18.10%). NSAIDs (32.9%), Cough Syrups (15.0%) and Antibiotics (14.8%) were the mostly used drugs in self-medication practices. The most common reasons for self-medication were previous experience (23.59%), minor illness (19.77%) and quick reliefs (19.1%). More than half of respondents (57.0%) were found to have positive perception towards the self-medication practices. This study showed education status (p=0.033) had significant association with the self-medication practices. Conclusion: The study focused to assess the perception and practices of self-medication. The prevalence of self-medication was found to be 78.6%. More than half of the residents were found to possess positive perception towards the self-medication practices.

Exploring the knowledge, practices & determinants of antibiotic self-medication among bangladeshi university students in the era of COVID-19: A cross-sectional study

Self-medication with antibiotics is a growing public health concern. Antibiotics are easily accessible on requested from pharmacies throughout the majority of developing countries. The present study aimed to determine the prevalence of self-medication with antibiotics among university students in Bangladesh, as well as to evaluate their knowledge and practices related to antibiotics and its resistance. A structured questionnaire was administered to 1000 students over a month in January 2022 at three universities of Bangladesh. The results showed that 61.0% of the participants had self-medicated with antibiotics in the last six months. In regards to the participants' level of knowledge and practice, a significant proportion, 60.0% exhibited a substandard understanding of antibiotic resistance and appropriate antibiotic usage. Male students (61.7%) were found to self-medicate more often than female students (38.3%). The highest prevalence of self-medication was observed in the age group of 22–25 years (32.2%). The most common reasons for self-medication were previous experience with the illness (40.9%) and the belief that the illness was not serious (36.2%). The most common illnesses for which self-medication was practiced were fever (40.9%) and cough and cold (29.3%). During multivariate logistic regression analyses age, gender, maintaining diet chart, and habit of exercising regularly were found to be associated with the increased risk of self-medication with antibiotics. The study highlighted the critical need for targeted interventions to promote responsible antibiotic use, enhance knowledge about antibiotic resistance, and discourage self-medication among university students in Bangladesh. Addressing these factors would enable the government to mitigate risks associated with self-medication, prevent antibiotic resistance, and alleviate the burden on health and the economy at large.

The association between knowledge level and common cold self-medication behaviour among students of non-health faculty

Background: Self-medication is common among students all over the world. The most common reasons for self-medication were prior illness experience, non-seriousness of the illness, and drug availability. About 72.44% Indonesians of practice self-medication. Adequate knowledge sharing on drug usage would ensure appropriate and rational treatment. Objective: To determine the relationship between the level of knowledge of non-health faculty students about the common cold and the habit of self-medication during its treatment. Method: This is an observational study using a descriptive cross-sectional research design. The participants in this study were non-health faculty students from the Muhammadiyah University of Magelang and Lamongan, Indonesia who met the inclusion criteria. Knowledge level and behaviour level questionnaires were used. The Spearman Rank correlation test was used to analyse the data. Result: About 69.2% and 64.9% of the respondents had good knowledge, and behaviour respectively in the case of common cold self-medication. The Spearman Rank test analysis indicated a correlation between respondents’ knowledge and behaviour towards common cold self-medication. Meanwhile, the strength correlation indicated a weak relationship. Conclusion: Other factors could influence the self-medication habit besides knowledge status.

A Survey Study on Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice toward Self-medication Practice with Over-the-counter Drugs among Under Graduate Dental Students

ABSTRACT Introduction: Self-medication practice is very common, especially after the coronavirus disease 2019 period. Self-medication among future health-care professionals can cause serious adverse drug reactions (ADRs) as well as antimicrobial resistance that can lead to potential damage to our health-care system. There has been a drastic inclination among medical and dental students and practitioners toward self-medication with over-the-counter (OTC) drugs. OTC medicines or nonprescription drugs are the group that can be purchased without a legible prescription from a registered medical practitioner and are safe as well as effective also. Aim: The aim of our study was to know about self-medication practice with OTC drugs among undergraduate dental students. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional survey study was conducted among all the dental undergraduate students of K. M. Shah Dental college, Piparia, from December 2022 to March 2023. The study was initiated only after getting approval from the Institutional Ethics Committee. A prevalidated questionnaire was given to the students, and responses were obtained. The collected data were subjected to percentage analysis. Results: The prevalence of self-medication practice among dental undergraduates from our study was found to be in 104 (67.1%) out of 155 students who enrolled in the study. The most common reason for self-medication was prior knowledge about drugs 88 (58.3%) and the most common drugs used were nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs 93.5%. Among the 155 participants, 110 (71%) mentioned that they got cured after self-medicating themselves with OTC drugs and 18 (11.6%) participants encountered adverse reactions. Conclusion: Self-medication was commonly practiced by dental students who were enrolled in our survey study. Self-medication should be considered an emerging problem, especially among undergraduate dental/medical students because they do not have enough significant knowledge about drugs, dose regime, duration of treatment, and their possible ADRs.

Pattern of Self-medication among Undergraduate Medical Students: A Cross-sectional Study

INTRODUCTION: Self-medication is one of the major emerging health problems. It may lead to many health hazards as well as resistance to antimicrobial agents. Lack of enough report on self-medication in medical students has encouraged to conduct this study. The study aims to find out the pattern, perception and reasons for self-medication in undergraduate medical students. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This descriptive crosssectional study was conducted among undergraduate medical students at Janaki Medical College and Teaching Hospital (JMCTH) from February 2022 to April 2022. A pre-validated questionnaire was used for data collection and was analyzed using SPSS. RESULTS: Total of 134 students participated in this study, with mean age of21.70±1.66 years. 90.3% of students practiced self-medication in last 6 months. Mild nature of disease was the most common reason for self-medication. Fever (65.67%) was the most common cause of self-medication, whereas NSAIDS (45.9%) was most commonly used drugs for self-medication. Pharmacist (52.9%) were the most common source of drug information. Nausea/vomiting (32.09%) was the most common adverse effect experienced by participants. 80.6% thought that selfmedication was a part of self-care. More than one-third had opinion that self-medication was recommended by WHO. CONCLUSIONS: Majority of students practiced self-medication. More than half of them prescribed medication to others. Medical students should be made aware of the harmful effects of self-medication.

The Relationship between Fear of COVID-19 and Self-Medication and the Rate of Antibiotic Use in Patients Referred to COVID-19.

The coronavirus pandemic can cause anxiety and stress among people, which can make them practice self-medication. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between fear of corona and self-medication and antibiotics use. In a convenience sampling method, 250 people referring to COVID-19 centers including 16-hour comprehensive health services in Kermanshah, Iran, who tested positive and were not hospitalized were extracted from the SIB system. Data collection tools include three questionnaires including corona fear questionnaire, self-medication questionnaire, and self-medication by antibiotic questionnaire and an information form including demographic characteristics. Data were analyzed by SPSS version 25. The prevalence of self-medication was 59.6%. There was a significant correlation between self-medication and gender (P value <0.05) and education level (P value <0.05); the most common reason for self-medication was easy access to medicines through pharmacy drug stores. The mean score of fear of corona was higher in women and those who were not in a good financial position due to a lack of suitable economic status to see a doctor. There was a direct and significant relationship between self-medication and self-medication by antibiotics. 59.6% of the participants used medicines themselves, buying over-the-counter in pharmacies. Also, there was a statistically significant difference between the mean score of corona fear in terms of not having a suitable economic status to see a doctor. This indicates that the lack of proper economic status among people with the coronavirus positive test to see a doctor increases the fear of the disease.

Factors associated with self-medication among expatriate high school students: a cross-sectional survey in United Arab Emirates

The study aimed to assess factors associated with self-medication (SM) among expatriate high school students of United Arab Emirates using a validated questionnaire. Most common reasons for self-medication in 324 participating students were: presence of mild illness and previous experiences. High risk practices like altering the dose, discontinuation of medication and self-medication without adult guidance were observed. The likelihood of SM was 4.9 times (95%C.I.: 2.0-12.2) in students not utilizing private healthcare services than those who were utilizing these services. Increased efforts are needed to prevent the risks of self-medication in adolescents through healthcare education for both parents and adolescents.

A comparative analysis of pattern and attitude towards self-medication among pharmacy and non-pharmacy students in University of Ghana

Introductionself-medication involves the use of medicines without the input of health professionals. Available studies are not entirely conclusive on self-medication among health science versus non-health science university students. The current study therefore sought to investigate relevant aspects of self-medication among pharmacy and non-pharmacy students.Methodsthis quantitative cross-sectional research was conducted among undergraduate pharmacy and non-pharmacy students of the University of Ghana from October 1st 2019 to December 6th 2019. Using a questionnaire, interviews were conducted to assess the pattern and attitude towards self-medication among respondents within the last 2 months.Resultsa total of 337 (163 pharmacy and 174 non-pharmacy) students filled and completed questionnaires. The prevalence of self-medication was 55.2% for pharmacy and 51.1% for non-pharmacy students. Both pharmacy and non-pharmacy students were either accepting or ambivalent towards self-medication. Painkillers were the major class of medications that were self-medicated by both pharmacy (38.5%) and non-pharmacy students (30.7%). The most common reason for self-medication among pharmacy (62.2%) and non-pharmacy (56.2%) students was the need for rapid relief from an illness. Majority of the participants who were self-medicated (27.6% among non-pharmacy and 36.8% among pharmacy students) demonstrated ambivalent attitude towards self-medication. An increase in the study level reduced the likelihood of self-medication in both pharmacy and non-pharmacy students: OR=0.442, CI = 0.266-0.736 for pharmacy students and OR=0.671, CI = 0.456-0.987 for non-pharmacy students.Conclusionself-medication is common students of the University of Ghana. Prevalence of self-medication was higher among pharmacy students than non-pharmacy students. This study provides data for targeted education and sensitisation of self-medication among university students.

Prevalence and reasons for practicing self-medication among basic health staff: case of Monywa District, Myanmar: a cross-sectional study

Background: Self-medication is often associated with an incorrect diagnosis, wrong medication, delayed effective medical care, disease masking, prolonged-course therapy, and harmful effects following medication. This study aimed to demonstrate self-medication prevalence and detect the reasons for practicing self-medication among BHS.Methods: Researchers conducted this cross-sectional study within four township health departments of Monywa District. A total of 405 BHS was culled from each subpopulation of BHS through proportional sampling. SPSS version-25 was applied for data analysis.Results: This study demonstrated that the self-medication prevalence among BHS was 57.8%, of which self-medication of antibiotics was 61.5%. The most common reasons for self-medication were cold, cough, fever, ache and pain in the head, throat, teeth, muscles, and bones, gastrointestinal symptoms, and high blood pressure. Commonly practiced self-medication drug was pain relievers (86.8%) and the most preferred antibiotic self-prescribed was amoxicillin (26.5%). Other drug types used for self-medication were cold and cough medicines, gastro-intestinal medicines, vitamins and minerals, and anti-hypertensive, contraceptive, hypoglycemic, and herbal medicines. Mostly, self-medication practices were based on own experiences (83.3%), easy access and availability of medicines (82.5%), academic knowledge of the diseases (41%), and treatment options (47.4%), considering the symptoms as minor (29.5%).Conclusions: A high prevalence of self-medication occurred among BHS. This study points out that BHS needs to be more comprehensive about safety, regulations, and rational use of medicines. This study suggests that the Myanmar technical working groups should enforce the National medicines policy.

Global, WHO Regional, and Continental Prevalence of Self-medication from 2000 to 2018: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Background: Nowadays, with regard to the availability of medicines and populations’ increased knowledge of medical sciences, self-medication has increased which is a challenging issue for the healthcare system. This study aimed to examine the prevalence of self-medication, comprehensively at a global level. In addition, effective factors in this regard, including the motives of self-medication, diversity of medicines used, the supply resources, and type of the resulted disease were evaluated.Materials: English language articles published during 2000-2018 were systematically searched in Embase, PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus to find relevant research. Studies that met the inclusion criteria were evaluated independently by two researchers the relevant articles were examined based on the prevalence of the phenomenon and factors such as setting of study, common reasons for self-medication, and common drugs used.Results: From 951 primarily revealed articles, 69 papers were entered for the final analysis. Overall, 41620 individuals were included in the selected papers, 67% of whom (N=27890) had at least one experience of self-medication. Among the continents, Europe (Eastern) had the highest incidence rate of self-medication (74%, 95% CI, 56%-86%). In terms of supply resources, 71% of the subjects purchased drugs from pharmacies (95% CI, 61-80%). Regarding the condition that led to self-medication, 48% of the patients turned to self-medication due to neurological problems (95% CI, 40-55%). Among the causes of self-medication, “a previous history” and “minor nature of the disease” were the most common reasons for self-medication.Conclusion: According to the results of the study, the mean incidence of self-medication was higher in Eastern Europe and Asian countries, compared to other parts of the world. This could be a considerable note for policy-makers of this field. In general, self-medication can lead to short and long-term harmful consequences for the society and the healthcare systems, resulting in huge costs for countries.

Samomedikacija studenata zdravstvene struke

Introduction: Self-medication is defined as the use of any medication without consulting with health professionals. Today, more often we speak about responsible self-medication, which involves the use of appropriate drugs, such as drugs without prescription (OTC) in accordance with individual needs (the proper indication, the proper drug, the proper information and assessments). The frequency of self-medicataion in the population of future health care workers is quite high everywhere. Research of the attitudes and knowledge of self-medication in this population has particular significance because they are future health workers who will be in contact with drugs and involved in health education of general population. The aim of this study was to examine the frequency and reasons for self-medication in the population of future health care workers. Method: The research was conducted as a cross-sectional study, with an anonymus questionnaire among future health care professionals, on a sample of 551 respondents. The questionnaire designed for this survey consisted questions about demographic characteristics respondents, questions about self-medication, the reasons for self-medication. Results: The majority of future health care workers (79.1%) reported the use of some sort of self-medication. Significantly higher percentage of self-medication is present among females (p=0.003), among midwives and nurses (p=0.001). The most common reason for self-medication was taking an active role in decision making related to health (54.1%). Conclusion: The study showed that self-medication was common among future health care workers. Future health care workers need to be well educated for responsible self-medication, in order to applied and promote her during they work.

Pattern Knowledge and Determinants of Analgesic Self-medication among Undergraduate Students in the Faculty of Pharmacy, Nursing and Health Professions

<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Background: </strong>Self-medication is a widespread practice and it is referred to as the self-selection of medication by individuals, to treat self-recognized illnesses, without any consultation or prescription from a medical practitioner. Thus, tending to self-prescribe pain killers to overcome the sensation of pain, and avoid wasting time and money on medical consultation which might be of danger to their health. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the pattern, knowledge and determinants among undergraduate students at Birzeit University, Palestine, towards self-medication. <strong>Methods:</strong> A descriptive cross-sectional study on analgesics consumption was conducted among undergraduates in health professions students. A questionnaire was distributed to 284 selected students in order to collect information about different aspects of self-medication. <strong>Results:</strong> 78.1% of the study participants were against self-medication unless it is indicated or necessary. The most common reasons for self-medication were a headache for 70.8% of students. The analgesics and Non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs were the most commonly used medications, by 135 students (47.5%) and 113 others (39.8%) respectively. Whereas antibiotics were categorized as the third most commonly used type of drug. The pharmacist was the reliable source of information regarding self-medication. However, it is remarkably significant that as the years progress, the use of these drugs increases. <strong>Conclusion: </strong>This study demonstrated that self- medication practice is very common among health care professions students at Birzeit University. Commonly used drugs were analgesics, Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and antibiotics. The occurrence of self-medication practice among health professions students increased with year of progression in the school. <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong> Key words: </strong>Analgesic, Awareness, Health Professions Students, Knowledge, Self-medication.