The public has turned to self-medication during the pandemic due to the rising social media influence, the availability of over-the-counter drugs, and the public’s fear of getting the virus. Self-medication is a widespread practice in both developed and developing nations. Self-medication has been noted to be on the rise worldwide. Health professionals are worried on the practice of self-medication by adamant sick persons, and prescription drugs over-the-counter are persisted for the treatment of diseases. This study critically examined the factors and reasons for the self-medication of the elderly in the City of San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan. The results of the study served as a baseline reference to develop health education on self-medication risks to promote healthy safety practices. Furthermore, the objectives of this research were to examine the prevailing opinions of the elderly about the factors of self-medication and to assess the main ideas of the elderly on the reasons for self-medication. The study employed a descriptive research design that determined the nature of the specific occurrences under investigation. [1] The adopted standardized Factors and Reasons of Self-Medication Survey Questionnaire was utilized. It was revealed that age and monthly income were two factors that had a significant impact on the decisions that older people made regarding their self-medication. In terms of reasons, these include: the similarity of symptoms with past illnesses, perceived illness as mild, need for quick relief/urgency, distance of health institutions, drug access to pharmacy, high healthcare cost, long lines or waiting time in the physician’s clinic and hospital, and self-medication is cheaper were the common reasons for self-medication. The findings of the study provided components of health teachings in framing health education on self-medication risks and healthy safety practices.
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