Analgesic Self-medication Research Articles

The relationship between patient characteristics and analgesic self-medication behavior in pharmacies in Kesesi District, Pekalongan Regency

Self-medication is an effort to self-medicate without a doctor's prescription. Analgesics are medications used to reduce or relieve pain. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between patient characteristics and analgesic self-education behavior in pharmacies in Kesesi District, Pekalongan Regency. This study used an analytical observational method with a cross-sectional approach, the research instrument used a questionnaire involving 97 respondents in 3 pharmacies in Kesesi District, Pekalongan Regency. The sampling technique uses the consecutive sampling method. The independent variable is the characteristic and the dependent variable is the analgesic self-medication behavior. Data analysis using univariate and bivariate analysis with non-parametric rank spearman statistical test. The results showed that the age of 26-45 years was 50.5%, women were 66%, secondary education was 61.9%, self-employed by 47.7% and 32% of moderate-income people were more self-medicated analgesics. Some patients had good behavior in self-medication analgesics by 71.1%. The conclusion of this study was that patient characteristics including age (p = 0.014), education (p = 0.000), occupation (p = 0.000) and income (p = 0.000) had a relationship with analgesic self-medication behavior in pharmacies Kesesi District, Pekalongan Regency, while unrelated patient characteristics were gender (p = 0.237).

Analgesic Self-medication Among Patients With Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain in a South African Chiropractic Teaching Clinic: A Cross-sectional Study

ObjectivesThe purpose of this study was to identify the prevalence of chronic musculoskeletal pain (CMSP) and analgesic self-medication. The knowledge and practices of those who self-medicate with analgesics and factors influencing this was also ascertained. MethodsThis study was a quantitative, descriptive cross-sectional study. A survey was conducted amongst 302 participants with musculoskeletal pain (MSP) attending a chiropractic clinic within a South African tertiary university from July to September 2022. The analysis of analgesic self-medication was limited to participants who reported having CMSP. Data were analyzed using appropriate statistical software and methods, utilizing Chi-square, and nonparametric tests. ResultsThere was a high prevalence of analgesic self-medication with 80% of respondents reporting self-medicating with analgesics to manage their CMSP, and a point prevalence of 57%. More females (86%) than males (69%) self-medicated with analgesics. Participants between 35 and 44 years were statistically more likely to self-medicate with analgesics (P = .048). The majority (96%) sourced their analgesics from a pharmacy without a prescription. It was found that the most frequently used analgesics were nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) (70%) followed by paracetamol (58%) and combination analgesics (54%). A significant number of participants (55%) utilizing public health care services used combination analgesics obtained without a prescription compared to 34% of analgesic users that utilized private health care (P < .030). ConclusionThis study showed a high prevalence of self-medication with analgesics, particularly NSAIDs and paracetamol, in participants with CMSP. These findings can guide chiropractors in patient education, reducing self-medication risks and complications.

The Influence of Analgesic Self-Medication Education on the Knowledge of Hajj Pilgrims

The self-medication of analgesic drugs by elderly prospective hajj pilgrims in Indonesia requires better education to enhance understanding of safe and rational drug use, thus reducing the risk of side effects. Therefore, the research aimed at providing education to increase the knowledge of prospective Hajj pilgrims. The purpose of this study is to analyze the effects of providing video education on the knowledge level of self-medication with analgesic drugs among prospective Hajj pilgrims in the city of Batu. This study is an pre-experimental research using a one-group pretest-posttest design on 21 prospective hajj pilgrims in the Batu District, Batu City. The sampling was conducted using a purposive sampling method. Data were obtained through questionnaires administered to respondents both before and after the intervention. The analysis of the impact of video education on the knowledge of prospective hajj pilgrims about self-medication with analgetic drugs was performed using the Wilcoxon signed-rank statistical test. After being given education, there was a significant increase in the respondents knowledge about self-medication with analgetic drugs, rising from 19.04% having good knowledge previously to 90.47% after the video education session, with the Wilcoxon test results indicating a significant difference between the pretest and post-test scores; the relatively low z-score (-3.794) and very low p-value (0.00) indicate that the ranking for the group with post-test scores is higher, signifying a significant improvement, thus post-test scores are better than pretest scores.

Post-traumatic stress disorder burden among female Syrian war refugees is associated with dysmenorrhea severity but not with the analgesics

Dysmenorrhea association with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has not been studied in refugees. We aimed to examine the associations between dysmenorrhea severity, dysmenorrhea analgesics self-medications, and PTSD in a cohort of Syrian war refugees residing in Jordan.&lt;br /&gt; This is a cross-sectional study based on predetermined inclusion criteria held at Caritas primary care centers in Jordanian districts between September and October 2022. The participants’ demographics and analgesic self-medication type were recorded through a structured questionnaire. The dysmenorrhea severity was measured by (working ability, location, intensity, days of pain, and dysmenorrhea) WaLiDD scale, PTSD was measured by Davidson trauma scale (DTS)-DSM-IV.&lt;br /&gt; Data from 347 Syrian female war refugees were analyzed. The multivariate analysis showed that dysmenorrhea severity demonstrated significantly higher estimates for PTSD (10.48 [6.72-14.23], p=0.001), however, the analgesic type was not associated with PTSD burden.&lt;br /&gt; In conclusion, dysmenorrhea severity, but not self-medication, was associated with a higher PTSD burden.

A Cross-Sectional Study to Investigate the Prevalence of Self-Medication of Non-Opioid Analgesics Among Medical Students at Qassim University, Saudi Arabia.

Self-medication (SM) using non-opioid analgesics (NOA) is contentious and increasingly recognized as a major public health concern with severe consequences, including masking of malignant and fatal diseases, risk of misdiagnosis, problems relating to over- and under-dosing, drug interactions, incorrect dosage, and choice of therapy. Herein, we aim to determine the prevalence of SM with NOA among pharmacy and medical students at Unaizah College, Qassim University, Saudi Arabia. A cross-sectional study using a validated self-administered questionnaire was conducted on 709 pharmacy and medicine students belonging to an age group of 21-24 years from Unaizah Colleges. Data were statistically analyzed using SPSS version 21. Of 709 participants, 635 responded to the questionnaire. Our results showed a prevalence percentage of 89.6% using self-medicated NOA for pain management. The most common factor leading to SM in NOA was the mild nature of the illness (50.6%), and headache/migraine (66.8%) was the dominant health problem. Paracetamol (acetaminophen, 73.7%) was the most commonly used analgesic, followed by ibuprofen (16.5%). The most common and reliable sources of drug information were pharmacists (51.5%). We observed a high rate of SM for NOA among undergraduate students. We believe that the adverse consequences of SM could be controlled through educational, regulatory, and administrative strategies by providing appropriate awareness sessions, and the role of pharmacists should be highlighted in preventing SM from NOA.

Attitude of Self-Medication Among Pharmacy Students in King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Survey.

Background/purpose Self-medication is a public health concern because of the potential for medication overuse or abuse, as well as the physical, social, and psychological consequences. In Saudi Arabia, self-medication is common, especially among health science students. Inappropriate self-medication can cause several adverse effects, such as increasing the risk of medication abuse or delaying hospitalappointments due to concealing specific symptoms with some medications. Therefore, our study aims to investigate and evaluate health science students' practices, awareness, and attitudes towards self-medication in the Faculty of Pharmacy at King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Materials and methods A cross-sectional study was conducted using an online self-administered survey to measure the attitude, awareness, and prevalence of self-medication among pharmacy students at King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Students in the pharmacy program from the first to the sixth year were invited to participate in the study from April 2019 to June 2019. Raosoft was used to compute the sample size (n = 235) with a 5% margin of error and a 95% confidence range. Results The factors associated with significant effects were an academic year (p = 0.001), smoking (p = 0.018), average sleeping time (p = 0.032), having any headache (p = 0.022), and their opinion about self-medication (p < 0.0001). Conclusion According to the study, the self-medication of analgesics is common among pharmacy students, and the most used medication was paracetamol.

Correction

Background/purpose Self-medication is a public health concern because of the potential for medication overuse or abuse, as well as the physical, social, and psychological consequences. In Saudi Arabia, self-medication is common, especially among health science students. Inappropriate self-medication can cause several adverse effects, such as increasing the risk of medication abuse or delaying hospital appointments due to concealing specific symptoms with some medications. Therefore, our study aims to investigate and evaluate health science students' practices, awareness, and attitudes towards self-medication in the Faculty of Pharmacy at King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Materials and methods A cross-sectional study was conducted using an online self-administered survey to measure the attitude, awareness, and prevalence of self-medication among pharmacy students at King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Students in the pharmacy program from the first to the sixth year were invited to participate in the study from April 2019 to June 2019. Raosoft was used to compute the sample size (n = 235) with a 5% margin of error and a 95% confidence range. Results The factors associated with significant effects were an academic year (p = 0.001), smoking (p = 0.018), average sleeping time (p = 0.032), having any headache (p = 0.022), and their opinion about self-medication (p &lt; 0.0001). Conclusion According to the study, the self-medication of analgesics is common among pharmacy students, and the most used medication was paracetamol.

Cross sectional study on self medication practice of analgesics among nursing students

Background: Self medication with analgesics is prevalent worldwide among medical students due to easy availability as over the counter drugs. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on nursing students of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Medical College, Bengaluru. A Pre-designed questionnaire was used to collect relevant information on self medication of analgesics. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results: A total of 90 students participated in the study. Practice of self-medication was reported by 87.3% nursing students. The most common condition for self-medication was headache (42.86%), followed by dysmenorrhoea (32.38%). Non seriousness of illness (69.4%) was the major reason followed by prior experience (62.6%) for seeking self medication. Most common source of drug information was previous prescription of a physician (61.2%) followed by pharmacist’s advice (46.7%). Among these students, 34.4% were unaware about adverse drug reactions and 51.1% were unaware about drug interactions. Conclusion: The present study indicates that self-medication is widely practiced among nursing students. Consumption of over the counter analgesics can mask the actual diagnosis of the underlying disease. It is also necessary to create awareness among the nursing students regarding the dangers of self medication.

Operant Self-medication for Assessment of Spontaneous Pain Relief and Drug Abuse Liability in Mouse Models of Chronic Pain.

The search for safe and efficient chronic pain treatments is dampened by the lack of reliable models that faithfully reproduce current pharmacological treatments for chronic spontaneous pain in humans. Preclinical models often assess the antinociceptive efficacy of non-contingent pharmacological treatments evaluated in the short-term. Here, we provide a protocol of contingent operant self-medication in mice, which allows the estimation of spontaneous pain relief and drug abuse liability in models of persistent pain. This paradigm requires preliminary habituation and animal handling, followed by training of mice in operant conditioning boxes, to allow subsequent analgesic drug self-administration. After the initial acquisition of food-maintained operant behavior, a chronic pain sensitization is induced. Posterior intravenous jugular catheterization and coupling of operant conditioning boxes to perfusion pumps allow quantification of operant responding for intravenous drug self-administration. All mice show an initial operant drug self-administration behavior associated with the previous food-maintained operant training. This initial operant responding is extinguished after administration of ineffective treatments, but continues when the compounds have analgesic efficacy or intrinsic reinforcing properties. The identification of a significant drug self-administration selectively expressed in mice exposed to the chronic pain condition is indicative of analgesic drug effects, whereas persistent self-administration in control mice is indicative of abuse liability. The present protocol provides the behavioral and surgical procedures needed to assess spontaneous pain relief and potential for abuse of pharmacological treatments, through contingent analgesic self-medication in mice. Graphic abstract: Experimental design. Animals are subjected to a 5-day food self-administration protocol with a fixed ratio of reinforcement of 1 (FR1, 1 interaction with the active nose-poke causes the release of 1 reinforcer/infusion), to acquire the operant behavior. After this training, mice are subjected to the chronic pain or sham procedure, and four days later an intravenous (i.v.) catheterization is performed, to allow self-administration with the selected compound or its vehicle. Three days after the catheterization, animals start the drug/vehicle self-administration protocol at FR1. The patency of the catheter is evaluated with the thiopental test after the last self-administration session. Adapted from Bura et al. (2018).

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.

The Rate of Self-Medication and Its Related Factors in Nursing Students in Behbahan, Southwest of Iran in 2020

Background: Today, Self-medication among nursing students against illnesses has become one of the biggest threats to their health, which should be avoided. Considering that the knowledge and attitudes, in this case, lead to less use of drugs without prescribing and teaching nursing students to other people in the community, therefore, this study was conducted with the aim of determining the rate of self-medication and its related factors nursing students in Behbahan in 2020. Methods: In this cross-sectional analytical study, convenient sampling was done in nursing students of Behbahan Faculty of Medical Sciences in 2020. The data collection tools were a demographics information checklist and an approved checklist for self-medication. Data analysis was done with spss-20 software and using the Chi-square test. Results: In this study, 120 students with an average of 24.11 ± 0.87, 41.7% of boys and the rest of the girls, were enrolled. The prevalence of self-medication with antibiotic, cold and cough, analgesic, neurological, gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, anti-psychoactive, opioid and psychedelic, skin, antimicrobial, vitamins and supplements and medicines were 53.3%, 82.5%, 52.5% 3.3%,19.2%, 4.2%, 25.8%, 0.8%, 14.2%, 5.8%, 25.8% and 37% respectively. Females had more analgesic self-medication, more indigenous students than self-medication, and those with less than a weekly walking time had more self-medication and vitamin supplement supplementation (p <0.05). Conclusion: The results indicate a high level of self-care in nursing students and should be considered especially as these future nurses should provide proper education and care to their patients. Also, by providing various strategies such as periodic and free visits to these people, advising them to exercise and providing useful educational workshops about the harm of self-medication will help reduce it. Further studies in this area will help students in the Department of Medicine and the Ministry of Education provide a clear blueprint on the status of self-care in students.

Prevalence of pain, analgesic self-medication and mental health in German pre-hospital emergency medical service personnel: a nationwide survey pilot-study

PurposeThe aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of pain, the extent of analgesics intake and the mental health status of German pre-hospital emergency medical service (EMS) personnel.MethodsWe conducted a nationwide online survey, which consisted of sociodemographic and job-related items, questions on pain and analgesics intake and the short-version of the validated Depression–Anxiety–Stress Scale (DASS-21).ResultsA total of 774 EMS personnel with a mean age of 33.03 (standard error [SE] 0.37) years were included into the final analysis of which 23.77% were female. Pain was reported by 58.64% (454 of 774) of the study participants with 10.72% (95% confidence interval [CI] 8.54%; 13.29%) suffering from chronic, 1.68% (95% CI 0.89%; 2.87%) from acute and 46.25% (95% CI 41.49%; 51.30%) from recurrent pain, respectively. Most frequent location of pain was lumbar spine. Analgesics were used by 52.76% (239 of 454) of pre-hospital EMS personnel with pain (acute 76.92% / chronic 69.88% / recurrent 47.90%). Moreover, participants with chronic and recurrent pain indicated significantly higher depression (p ≤ 0.001), anxiety (p ≤ 0.001), and stress (p ≤ 0.001) levels compared to those without pain, respectively.ConclusionThis study indicates a high prevalence of pain and analgesics usage in participating German pre-hospital EMS personnel and a poorer mental health in those with chronic and recurrent pain. Therefore, disease prevention and health promotion measures are needed to preserve health of pre-hospital EMS personnel.

A comparative study on self-medication practice of analgesics among MBBS students of Dr. B. R. Ambedkar Medical College, Bengaluru

Background: Self-medication with analgesics is prevalent worldwide among medical students due to easy availability of drugs and may lead to irrational usage of drugs. To assess knowledge, attitude, practice and perception of self-medication of analgesics.Methods: A comparative study on self-medication of analgesics was conducted on 3rd and 5th term Bachelor of medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) students of Dr. B. R. Ambedkar Medical College, Bengaluru in November 2019. A pre-designed questionnaire was used to collect information on self-medication with analgesics.Results: 74.5% of 3rd term and 65.5% of 5th term MBBS students practiced self-medication with analgesics. Majority of students in both groups had some knowledge on self-medication with analgesics. Common condition for using analgesic self-medication was headache (75.8%, 59.7%, p=0.0172) and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (80.6%, 90%, p=0.0780) were commonly used analgesics. Analgesics were used for quick relief (67.7%, 73.3%, p=0.4512) and students in group II referred medical textbooks as a source of information for practicing self-medication with analgesics (22.5%, 61.6%, p&lt;0.001). Students agreed that self-medication is acceptable for medical students (45.8%, 43%, p=0.045) and medical license is required for better administration of drugs (51.3%, 63.2%, p=0.225).Conclusions: This study has found that self-medication with analgesics was common among MBBS students for minor illness. It is necessary to create awareness and educate students regarding the hazards of self-medication.

A cross sectional questionnaire based study on self medication practice of analgesics among M.B.B.S students at Dr. B. R. Ambedkar Medical College, Bengaluru

Self medication with analgesics is prevalent worldwide among medical students due to easy availability of drugs. Present study was done to assess Knowledge, Attitude, Practice and Perception of Self Medication of Analgesics among MBBS students at Dr. B. R. Ambedkar Medical College, Bengaluru. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 3 Term MBBS students of Dr. B. R. Ambedkar Medical College, Bengaluru in November 2019. A Pre-designed validated questionnaire was used to collect relevant information on self medication of analgesics. Data was analysed using descriptive statistics. 78.4% of 3 term MBBS students practiced self medication with analgesics. Students had some knowledge regarding definition of self medication 84.8%, and side effects of analgesics 75.9%. They had no knowledge regarding dose, duration of treatment timing of drug administration, drug interactions and banned analgesics.Common reason for using analgesic self medication was headache (75.8%) and Nonsteroidal Antiinflammatory drugs (80.6%) were commonly used. Analgesics were used for quick relief (67.7%) and source of information was from previous doctor’s prescriptions (64.5%). Students stopped taking analgesics after symptoms disappeared (83.8%). Students agreed that self medication is acceptable for medical students (48.1%). This study has found that self medication with analgesics was common among undergraduate medical students for minor illness. It is necessary to create awareness and educate students regarding dangers of analgesic self medication.

A cross sectional questionnaire based study on self medication practice of analgesics among MBBS students at Dr. B. R. Ambedkar Medical College, Bengaluru, Karnataka

Background: Self medication with analgesics is prevalent worldwide due to easy procurement of over the counter drugs. Present study was done to assess knowledge, attitude, practice and perception of self medication of analgesics among MBBS students at Dr. B. R. Ambedkar Medical College, Bengaluru, Karnataka.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 5th term MBBS students of Dr. B. R. Ambedkar Medical College, Bengaluru in November 2019. A pre-designed validated questionnaire was used to collect information on knowledge, attitude, practice and perception of self medication of analgesics. Data was analysed using descriptive statistics.Results: 83.3 % of 5th term MBBS students practiced self medication with analgesics. Majority of students had some knowledge on self medication with analgesics. Common reason for using analgesic self medication was headache (59.7%) and nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (90%) were commonly used analgesics. Analgesics were used for quick relief (73.3%) and source of information was from medical textbooks (61.6%). Students stopped taking analgesics after symptoms disappeared (75%). Students agreed that self medication is acceptable for medical students (63.3%) and medical license is required for better administration of drugs (51.3%).Conclusions: This study has found that self medication with analgesics was common among undergraduate medical students for minor illness. It is necessary to create awareness and educate students regarding dangers of analgesic self medication.

Comparison of self-medication practices with analgesics among undergraduate medical and paramedical students of a tertiary care teaching institute in Central India - A questionnaire-based study.

CONTEXT:Inappropriate self-medication can increase chances of adverse drug reactions, disease aggravation, or drug interactions. Analgesics are most commonly used as self-medication.AIMS:The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare analgesic self-medication practices among medical and paramedical undergraduate students of a tertiary care teaching institute in Central India.MATERIALS AND METHODS:A cross-sectional, observational study was conducted in 216 undergraduate medical (MBBS and BDS) and paramedical (occupational therapy/physiotherapy and BSc nursing) students. A predesigned, self-developed, semi-structured questionnaire was used.STATISTICAL ANALYSIS:The Chi-square test was used for testing statistical significance.RESULTS:The overall prevalence of self-medication with analgesics was 83.33%. Self-medication was significantly high among medical students as compared to paramedical students (P = 0.003). Significantly more medical students were aware about adverse drug reactions of analgesics as compared to paramedical students (P = 0.019). The most common source of information about drugs was previous prescription (58.33%), followed by media including the Internet (53.70%). The most dominant symptom compelling self-medication was found to be muscular pain (42.12%), followed by headache (36.57%). 54.16% of the students revealed that self-medication provides quick relief from pain. The most commonly used analgesic was paracetamol (82.40%), followed by diclofenac (22.68%). A significant number of paramedical students do not know exactly what precautions should be taken while taking analgesics (P = 0.002).CONCLUSIONS:Medical students are more indulged in self-medication practices with analgesics. Paramedical students need to be educated regarding safe use of analgesics.

Self-medication in pain management: The state of the art of pharmacists' role for optimal Over-The-Counter analgesic use.

Self-medication is associated with an important utilization of Over-The-Counter (OTC) analgesics. The medical outcome resulting from therapeutic options bypassing the physician prescription is a major issue. In that context, pharmacists are expected to play a crucial role. The main objective of this review was to analyse the state-of-the art of pharmacists' role in pain management self-medication. An expert multidisciplinary group dedicated to self-medication in pain was established. Selection of publications was performed from PubMedand EMBASE databases which was based on the use of "pain" and/or "self-medication" and/or "self-care" and/or "analgesics" and/or "painkillers" keywords, restricted to the past 10 years. A total of 480 papers were identified, 49 of which papers were considered relevant and finally kept for final discussion, on OTC pain management and pharmacist's role. Literature analysis demonstrates that OTC analgesics are generally safe when appropriately used. Risks associated with misuse or inappropriateness depend on patients' vulnerability (elderly, pregnancy) or behaviour. Social cognitive theory-based intervention and multimedia applications improve self-medication but do not replace health care professional advice Pharmacists' interventions may improve the benefits and safety of OTC analgesic medication, with a better management of pain. Considering the heterogeneity of patients' knowledge and behaviour reported worldwide, inappropriate use of OTC pain medication should not be underestimated. Community pharmacists are ideally placed to guide self-medication or recommend a medical advice when needed. Embedding pharmacists in primary care pain management is essential and pharmacist-led medication coupled with an appropriate training of pharmacy staffs should be encouraged. Analgesics are widely used without prescription, all over the world. They represent the largest market of OTC drugs, with an overall benefit/risk ratio favourable when appropriately used. Because of potential individual risks associated to the ailment or to the patient's behaviour, pharmacists' interventions have proven to optimize analgesic self-medication, provided that pharmacy staffs are both available and more specifically trained. In the future, in pain management, especially self-medication, pharmacists should play an increasing role and should be included in educational programmes and pain management guidelines.

Practices, awareness and attitudes toward self-medication of analgesics among health sciences students in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

BackgroundSelf-medication is a common practice among health sciences students in Saudi Arabia. It is known that inappropriate selfmedication may harm individuals due to increasing the risk of drug misuse or delaying a hospital visit by masking some symptoms. Thus, the aim of our study is to investigate and assess practices, awareness and attitudes toward analgesics self-medication among health science students in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. MethodsThis is a cross-sectional study in a form of electronic survey that was conducted among health sciences students from different universities in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in 2016. Two hundred and seventy-two students responded to the questionnaire. The electronic questionnaire survey covered demographics, self-medication practice and the analgesics consumption, attitude and awareness about the safety of self-medication practice of analgesics. ResultsFactors associated with high prevalence of self-medication were not significant except for age (P = 0.04). Health sciences students had adequate knowledge about the safety of analgesics consumption itself and simultaneous use of analgesics with other drugs, significantly different by college; 80% for Pharmacy, 71% for Medicine, 61% for Nursing and Dentistry, and 25% for Applied Medical Sciences and pre-professional students (p = 0.037). ConclusionThe occurrence of self-medication practices is distressingly high among health sciences students. It is necessary to educate the students about the side effects and drawbacks of irresponsible selfmedication.

Self-Medication With Analgesic Among Surabaya, East Java Communities

Self-medication is one of the patient's efforts to treat the symptoms or health problems with drug without using a prescription. The most often class of drugs used as self-medication is analgesic (36,2-59,0%). Aim of this study is to describe analgesic self-medication profile among East Surabaya communities, especially Mulyorejo subdistrict. This study is an observational descriptive study that involving 225 patients from 9 pharmacies. The data were collected by using validated questionnaire contains sociodemographic profiles, the frequency of using analgesic, and analgesic profiles purchased by the patients. The data analyze was perfomed by comparing the average of analgesic self-medication frequency based on the patients sociodemographic profiles. The results showed that the average frequency of analgesic used as self-medication is 10.71 (95% CI 8.81-12.60) times a month. The average frequency of analgesic used as self-medication may differ based on sociodemographic profiles. Male patients, elderly, low education level, unemployed, low income (&lt; 2 million), living alone/ divorce, having history of smoking or drinking alcohol showed a higher average frequency of self-medication than the other groups. The results of the study related to analgesic profile showed the majority of patients (80.00%) bought 1 type of analgesic. The most common analgesic group (67.03%) purchased by the patient is Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs). Headache (42.22%) is a symptom that often encourages patients to use analgesic as self-medication. Based on the results of the study, education about the use of analgesic as self-medication can be more focused on groups of patients with a particular sociodemographic background and NSAIDs drug groups. It aims to avoid the less responsible use of analgesic as self-medication.

Self-Medication with Analgesics: Knowledge and Attitudes of Senior Medical Students and Interns at King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

Aim: The study was conducted to assess the knowledge and attitudes of clinical years’ medical students and interns towards self-medications with analgesics, King Abdulaziz University (KAU), Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Methodology: A cross-sectional study design was conducted among senior medical students (4th- 6th year) and interns at the medical college of KAU. A multistage stratified random sampling technique was used. A confidential, validated, self-administered questionnaire was used. It inquired about personal and socio-demographic information. It contained 10 questions asked about their knowledge concerning self-medication with analgesics. The knowledge score was calculated, ranged from 0-10. It was categorized into: satisfactory score (≥7), fair score (5 - <7) and poor score (< 5). Their attitudes towards analgesic self-medication were determined through rating 10 attitudes’ statements on a 3-points Likert scale. Descriptive and inferential statists were done. Results: Only 48% of the participants obtained a satisfactory knowledge score about self-medication with analgesics. Males had a significantly lower level of knowledge compared to females (X2=11.41, P <0.001). After controlling confounding factors in logistic regression, the first predictor of having a satisfactory knowledge score about self-medication with analgesics was being in a higher educational grade (aOR; 2.35, 95% CI: 1.54 - 3.58), followed by female gender. Regarding attitude, 70.8% of respondents agreed that self-medication with analgesics can cause side effects. Conclusion: Some lack of knowledge about self-medication with analgesics was found among our participants. However, the participants had sound attitudes towards some its issues. Knowledge of medical students and interns about self-medications needs improvement through more educational and training programs.