Self-medication In Medical Students Research Articles

Self-medication in medical students in urban India: Exploring the extent of this dangerous practice.

To assess the prevalence of self-medication in urban Indian medical students and explore possible factors associated with this practice. After obtaining institutional ethics approval, 180 medical students from six medical colleges in Mumbai were recruited to participate via social media. They were administered a pre-validated questionnaire that assessed self-medication as a practice, along with the perceived stress scale (PSS-10) online. Anonymity and confidentiality were maintained. The prevalence of self-medication in medical students was found to be 83.9%, with no significant difference between genders or between academic years of medical education. The most used source of information for self-medicating was older prescriptions, and for procuring drugs was pharmacist stores. Common cold was the most cited indication. Anti-pyretics and anti-inflammatory drugs were the most commonly self-medicated drugs. It was found that 73.3% of medical students had self-medicated with non-over-the-counter (OTC) drugs. It was observed that 6.1% of medical students had experienced adverse drug reactions, and alarmingly, 0.6% of medical students continued self-medicating despite experiencing adverse drug reactions. Most of the study participants admitted to having practised self-medication. It was alarming to find that an appreciable fraction of the study population had uncontrolled access to non-OTC drugs. Thus, there needs to be a greater emphasis on the education of medical students with respect to the problems encountered by self-medicating and a need to enforce stricter regulations, as well as to establish a more watertight monitoring system, to curb this hazardous practice.

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.

Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice of Self Medication among Medical Students of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran

Introduction: Self-medication is a double-edged sword the proper application of which is appreciated by the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines since it can reduce the unnecessary pressure on the health care system. However, self-medication can lead to severe consequences if utilized inappropriately. Furthermore, self-medication practice is an important social health issue in medical students as educated people and would-be physicians. This study aimed to determine the knowledge, attitude, and practice of self-medication in medical students of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional questionnaire-based study included 296 medical students at distinct levels of education. The data were analyzed in SPSS software (version 26). Results: Based on the findings, more than 80% of the students were aware of the complications, drug interactions, and importance of accurate use; however, only 9.1% and 27% of the participants were aware of the side-effects of herbal medicine and dietary supplements, respectively. Out of the total 296 participants, 83.5% of the cases declared that they did care about the side effects of medicines, and 81.3% of the students believed that a medical degree was essential for medicine prescription. In a confrontation with minor ailments, 21.9% of the cases practiced self-medication, and the majority (57.4%) of the used medicines were painkillers. The main reasons for self-medication was the underestimation of the disease (57.8%). Moreover, positive attitudes toward the safety of self-medication (P=0.04) and knowledge about medicine (p <0.001) were the major reasons for the self-medication practice in senior students, compared to juniors. However, no significant difference was found between seniors and juniors in terms of self-medication practice (P=0.85). Conclusion: Regarding the adverse effects of self-medication, drug dependency, microbial resistance, and high prevalence of self-medication among participants, it is suggested to provide educational programs on the adverse effects of self-medication. In addition, appropriate measures should be taken to control and prevent an easy access to medications.

Prevalence of self-medication in university students: systematic review and meta-analysis.

Self-medication can lead to serious consequences but its overall prevalence in students is not known. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of self-medication in students through a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies on the prevalence of self-medication in students across the world. PubMed/MEDLINE, EMBASE, ISI/Web of Science and Google Scholar were searched up to October 2017. Studies reporting the prevalence of self-treatment in university students were selected. Data recorded included year of publication, country where the study was conducted, sample size, prevalence of self-medication, sex and mean age of students, and faculty of students (medical or non-medical). A random-effect model was used to determine effect size with a 95% confidence interval (CI). Heterogeneity across studies was assessed with the I2 test. A sensitivity analysis assessed stability of the findings. A total of 89 studies were included in the analysis, which comprised 60 938 students. The overall prevalence of self-medication in university students was 70.1% (95% CI: 64.3-75.4%). Female students self-medicated more often than male students: odds ratio = 1.45 (95% CI%: 1.17-1.79). The prevalence of self-medication in medical students (97.2%) was higher than in non-medical students (44.7%). The I2 test indicated high, statistically significant heterogeneity. The sensitivity analysis showed that the results were stable. The prevalence of self-medication among students worldwide is high. Programmes on the risks of self-medication and increasing control and monitoring of the sale of drugs are recommended. Facilitating students' access to doctors and health centres could reduce self-medication in students.

Investigação sobre a automedicação dos estudantes do curso de medicina de uma Instituição de Ensino Superior

Avaliar as práticas de automedicação em estudantes de medicina, bem como os fatores, a frequência e quais são os medicamentos mais frequentes. Método: estudo transversal quali-quantitativo, no qual cerca de 200 alunos responderam um questionário contendo questões de múltipla escolha sobre a prática de automedicação. Para análise de estatística dos dados foi feito o teste de qui-quadrado e utilizado índice de confiança de 95%. Dos 146 estudantes que administraram algum medicamento neste período, 61 (41,7%) relataram que o medicamento não foi prescrito por médico/dentista. A prevalência da automedicação entre os estudantes que administraram algum medicamento nos últimos 6 meses foi de 88%. Os medicamentos mais utilizados foram os analgésicos e relaxantes musculares. Vale ressaltar o uso indiscriminado de antibióticos, sendo que uma das maiores e perigosas consequências é a resistência bacteriana, que impede a eficácia do tratamento e a demora na cura do paciente. O índice de automedicação entre os estudantes foi alto, semelhante a outros estudos observados. Essa temática necessita de práticas de intervenção das estruturas educacionais acadêmicas, as quais precisam estar fundamentadas em métodos e protocolos efetivos que enfoquem favorecer aos estudantes de Medicina, alertando-os sobre os risco da automedicação.

A cross sectional study of awareness regarding Antibiotic Resistance and Self-medication in Medical students from an urban area in Sangli district (Maharashtra), India.

Background: Antibiotic resistance is a great challenge to medical fraternity. Self-medication is widely regarded as one of the contributing factor for development of antibiotic resistance. Various studies conducted all over the globe have found that self-medication is prevalent in medical students. The current study was planned to understand the prevalence of self-medication and its pattern among the medical students from Sangli City (Maharashtra), India. Material & Methods: Study design: A cross sectional study. Study population: Students studying in Medical colleges of Sangli Municipal Corporation area. Sampling technique: Cluster random sampling. Sample Size: Calculated sample size was 263. As all the students from selected cluster were included, hence the total participants in the study were 399. Permissions and consent: Required ethical clearance, permissions from institute heads and written consent from each participants was also taken. Study tools: Pre-designed, pre-validated, self-administered questionnaire. Statistical analysis: It was done using Microsoft Excel 2012 and SPSS-22. Percentage and Chi-square test were used to analyze the data. Results: Prevalence of self-medication among medical students was 99.25%. Self- knowledge and convenience were the most important reasons for self-medication. Awareness and attitude regarding antibiotic resistance had increasing trend with first to final year. Majority of students 243 (60.9%) had poor practices regarding to antibiotic use; these were not associated with years of medical education. Conclusion: Self-medication is common among M.B.B.S students. Knowledge regarding antibiotic resistance is insufficient. There is a need for better training of medical students regarding antibiotic resistance and its effects.

Perception and practice of self-medication amongst second year medical students in a tertiary care teaching hospital

Background: Management of medical ailments requires sound knowledge of diseases and drugs. Medical students are more likely to practice self-medication due to easy access to information. Inappropriate and inadequate treatment can lead to morbidity and mortality. Thus, the current study was carried out to understand the perception and practice of self-medication in medical students so that habit of ethical practice can be inculcated in them.Methods: A self-developed and prevalidated questionnaire was distributed amongst 145 students of second MBBS after approval from Institutional ethics Committee. Data was collected; analysed using MS Excel and the results were expressed as counts and percentages.Results: In this study authors noted 136 (93.79%) out of the 145 students practised self-medication. The commonest reason being effectiveness of medications for similar conditions in the past 92 (69.17%). 111 (81.61%) students reported fever as the most common indication. Analgesics/anti-pyretics 117 (86.02%) were the most frequently used drug groups. Majority 87 (63.97%) obtained information from friends and relatives. Adverse effects of self-medication were noted in 20 (14.70%).Conclusions: This study indicates higher prevalence of self-medication in medical students of Goa. Students can be sensitised and made aware about possible adverse effects and drug interactions with self-medication and how simple looking illness may take an ugly turn. Students being future doctors will continue this chain of spread of awareness of self-medication. Easy access to healthcare can also solve these problems.

Patterns, perception, and practice of self-medication with antibiotics among medical undergraduate students

Background: Self-medication with antibiotics (SMA) has turned out to be a common practice worldwide and is widespread in developing nations like India. Self-medication in medical students is different when compared to general population, as they have a good knowledge about diseases and drugs, obtained from textbooks, colleagues, drug indices, etc., and being a medical student, drugs can be acquired easily. There are various studies conducted on nursing, medical, and university students, but there are very few studies conducted in this region. Aims and Objectives: The present study was conducted to know patterns, perception and practice of SMA in medical students. Materials and Methods: The present study was a questionnaire-based, cross-sectional study. The study was conducted in April 2017 at a Medical College in South India. The information was collected on demographic characteristics, reasons for SMA, indications for the use of antibiotics, drug/drug group of antibiotics used, reasons for not consulting a health-care professional, and sources of information about antibiotics. The results are described using frequency and percentage. Results: In the present study, 81.6% of the students had taken an antibiotic in the past 1 year. Most common conditions for which students used SMA were for upper respiratory tract infections (62.1%), fever (60.5%), and gastrointestinal infections (51.3%). The most common self-medicated antibiotics were ampicillin (57.2%) ciprofloxacin (49.7%) and metronidazole (46.4%). Most common reasons of SMA were, students considered SMA as less expensive when compared to doctor prescription (55.6%), illness not considered serious (49.7%) and lack of time to visit the hospital (47%). The most common source of information of antibiotic was from a previous prescription (49.7%) and the drug store (pharmacist) (36.7%). Conclusion: The present study found a high prevalence of SMA among medical undergraduate students. Special emphasis should be given in teaching medical students about the disadvantages of irrational self-medication particularly in relation to the emergence of drug resistance. Pharmacists should not dispense antibiotics without a valid prescription. At the policy‑making and regulatory level, there is a need for strict legislation and enforcement of law so as to restrict access to an antibiotic, along with vigorous monitoring system will help in promoting rational antibiotic usage.

Self Medication Practices among Medical Students of a Private Institute.

The study was undertaken to evaluate various aspects of self-medication in medical students. A prospective, cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study was carried out among 488 medical students selected by simple random sampling from January 2013 to June 2013. Data was collected and analyzed for counts and percentage. Students reported self-medication in the preceding one year was 71.7 % and the prevalence was more in final year students. Fever and headache were the most frequently reported illnesses, commonly used drugs were antipyretics and analgesics, obtained information through reading material, and reasons quoted were minor ailments and quick relief. Majority students agreed that medical knowledge is necessary for administration of medicine by self. Self-medication is highly prevalent in medical students, which is quite alarming.

Self-medication among students in Isfahan University of Medical Sciences based on Health Belief Model.

Background:The prevalence of self-medication is high all over the world, especially in Iran. But there is a paucity of studies to explore self-medication activities among the university students. Therefore, the present study was undertaken to determine the self-medication among student in Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, based on Health Belief Model (HBM).Materials and Methods:This cross-sectional study was conducted in 197 medical students of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences who were randomly chosen by a stratified random sampling method in 2009. The data were collected using a validated and reliable questionnaire based on HBM. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS software (ver. 16). Descriptive and analytical statistics (independent t-test and test) were used. A two-tailed P value lower than 0.05 was considered statistically significant.Results:The mean and standard deviation of participants’ age was 22.00 ± 2.77 years. 67.3% of the sample consisted of females. The mean scores of knowledge, perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, perceived benefits, and perceived barrier were 80.36 ± 18.29, 40.92 ± 13.89, 61.48 ± 19.03, 59.11 ± 18.46, and 30.36 ± 12.40, respectively. According to the results, 84.98% of students had experienced self-medication at least for one disease during the past 6 months.Conclusions:The prevalence of self-medication in medical students is high and we can consider it as a health problem. So, we need educational interventions for the students, using HBM constructs.

Prevalence, pattern and perceptions of self-medication in medical students

Background: The use of self-medication is highly prevalent in the community more so amongst the medical students. Self-medication can be defined as the use of drugs to treat self-diagnosed disorders or symptoms, or the intermittent or continued use of a prescribed drug for chronic or recurrent disease or symptoms. Aims and Objectives: To study the prevalence and pattern of use of self-medication among medical students from first year to internship. Methods: This cross sectional study was carried out among under graduate medical students including interns of Smt. NHL Municipal Medical College, Ahmedabad during the period of March 2010 to May 2010. Results: Out of 747 students and interns enrolled, 685 responded (91.7%). Out of 685 respondents 564 (82.3%) reported self-medication within one year of recall period. Most common conditions/symptoms for self-medication in students were fever (72.7%), headache (69.1%), upper respiratory tract infections (64.1%) followed by others like body-ache, abdominal pain, diarrhoea etc. Over the counter drugs (84.2%) was the most common category of drugs used by all the students except first year students who used prescription only drugs more frequently (48.5%). Herbal and Ayurvedic drugs were also used as self-medication (17.8%); most frequently by the first year students (22.7%). Conclusion: The pattern of self-medication practice changes with time and advancement of knowledge.