Attitudes, patterns and awareness on the use of self-medication and non-doctor prescription methods among undergraduate medical, nursing and physiotherapy students of a tertiary care setting in south Gujarat
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47203/IJCH.2023.v35i03.010Keywords:
Self-Medication, Knowledge, Drug, Medical And Paramedical StudentsAbstract
Background: According to WHO Self-medication can be defined as the use of drugs to treat self-diagnosed disorders, or the intermittent or continued use of a prescribed drug for chronic or recurrent disease or symptoms. Aim & Objective: To assess and improve the level of awareness regarding self-medication non-prescription medicines and over the counter drugs, to assess the prevalence and determinants of self-medication practices among undergraduate students. Settings and Design: A cross-sectional study design was used to carry out a study at tertiary care centre. Methods and Material: Sociodemographic characteristics, self-medication knowledge and general questions on self-medication were asked from study participants. Statistical analysis used: SPSS software version 26. Self-medication knowledge was scored and categorized as excellent/good and poor knowledge. Comparison of knowledge scores among medical, nursing and physiotherapy students was done using ANOVA test. Results: The prevalence of OTC drug usage was found out to be 304(79.4%). Highest prevalence was noted amongst medical students i.e., 186(83.4%) followed by nursing and physiotherapy students which were similar at 55(73.3%) and 63(74.4%) respectively. Mean knowledge scores of MBBS, nursing and physiotherapy students showed significant results with F-statistic value of 21.63 (p=0.00). Conclusions: Self-medication happens to be a common practice among medical and paramedical students.
Downloads
References
World Health Organization. Guidelines for the regulatory assessment of medicinal products for use in self-medication; Geneva. Available from: https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/66154 . Accessed on 24/09/2023.
Sd V. Self Medication - Reasons, Risks and Benefits. 2016;04(04):4.
Coronavirus: Why and how Ivermectin became a fake COVID cure, and continues to draw attention. Available from: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/health-news/coronavirus-why-and-how-ivermectin-became-a-fake-covid-cure-and-continues-to-draw-attention/photostory/86870482.cms. Accessed on 24/09/2023.
Khantzian EJ. The self-medication hypothesis of addictive disorders: focus on heroin and cocaine dependence. Am J Psychiatry. 1985;142(11):1259–64.
Rather IA, Kim B-C, Bajpai VK, Park Y-H. Self-medication and antibiotic resistance: Crisis, current challenges, and prevention. Saudi J Biol Sci. 2017;24(4):808–12.
Kasulkar AA, Gupta M. Self Medication Practices among Medical Students of a Private Institute. Indian J Pharm Sci. 2015;77(2):178–82.
Kumar N, Kanchan T, Unnikrishnan B, Rekha T, Mithra P, Kulkarni V, et al. Perceptions and Practices of Self-Medication among Medical Students in Coastal South India. PLOS ONE. 2013;8(8):e72247.
Hashemzaei M, Afshari M, Koohkan Z, Bazi A, Rezaee R, Tabrizian K. Knowledge, attitude, and practice of pharmacy and medical students regarding self-medication, a study in Zabol University of Medical Sciences; Sistan and Baluchestan province in south-east of Iran. BMC Med Educ. 2021;21(1):1-10.
El Ezz NFA, Ez-Elarab HS. Knowledge, attitude and practice of medical students towards self medication at Ain Shams University, Egypt. J Prev Med Hyg. 2011;52(4):196–200.
Self-medication popular among medical students: AIIMS study [Internet]. mint. 2008 [cited 2021 Nov 19]. Available from: https://www.livemint.com/Politics/XcN44QD5g8aW4dwltcUdtI/Selfmedication-popular-among-medical-students-AIIMS-study.html
Araia ZZ, Gebregziabher NK, Mesfun AB. Self medication practice and associated factors among students of Asmara College of Health Sciences, Eritrea: a cross sectional study. J Pharm Policy Pract. 2019;12(3):1-9.
Kumari R, Kiran K, Kumar D, Bahl R, Gupta R. Study of Knowledge and Practices of Self-Medication among Medical Students at Jammu. JMS Ski. 2012;15(2):141–4.
Seam MOR, Bhatta R, Saha BL, Das A, Hossain MM, Uddin SMN, et al. Assessing the Perceptions and Practice of Self-Medication among Bangladeshi Undergraduate Pharmacy Students. Pharm Basel Switz. 2018;6(1):E6.
Selvaraj K, S GK, Ramalingam A. Prevalence of self-medication practices and its associated factors in Urban Puducherry, India. Perspect Clin Res. 2014;5(1):32-6.
Shafie M, Eyasu M, Muzeyin K, Worku Y, Martín-Aragón S. Prevalence and determinants of self-medication practice among selected households in Addis Ababa community. PloS One. 2018;13(3):e0194122.
Chindhalore CA, Dakhale GN, Giradkar AB. 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. J Educ Health Promot. 2020;9:309.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
License
Copyright (c) 2023 Sahil Singh, Divakar Balusamy, Anita Sinha, Dr. Mamtarani, Dhairya Jain
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
