Medical Students Perception and Practice of Self-medication: Vision of Future Practitioner in Pakistan
Sameera Fatima
District Headquarter, Teaching Hospital Sargodha, Punjab, Pakistan
Akash Syed *
Department of Pharmacy, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Abbottabad, KPK, Pakistan AND M. Islam College of Pharmacy, Gujranwala, Punjab, Pakistan
Saira Azhar
Department of Pharmacy, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Abbottabad, KPK, Pakistan
Muhammad Dawood
Department of Pharmacy, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Abbottabad, KPK, Pakistan AND M. Islam College of Pharmacy, Gujranwala, Punjab, Pakistan
Samra Bashir
M. Islam College of Pharmacy, Gujranwala, Punjab, Pakistan
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Aims: The present study was conducted to explore self-medication among the medical students and their perception towards self-medication in four medical colleges in Abbottabad, Pakistan.
Study Design: The study was carried out as a cross sectional survey.
Place and Duration of Study: The study was carried out in four medical colleges during the period from April to September 2016 in Abbottabad, Pakistan.
Methodology: A semi structured questionnaire was developed. The questionnaire consisted of 6 sections. First and second year students were excluded from the study. The collected data of questionnaires was analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS), version 20.
Results: A sample of 403 students completed the questionnaire with a response rate of 80.6%. Majority of students practiced self-medication to save time (77.7% p < 0.001) whereas antipyretics (90.6%) were mainly used as self-medication among those participants. Academic knowledge (80.1%) was mentioned as a main source for information on drugs. The main indication for which participants self-medicated was fever (97%).
Conclusion: The medical students’ practice regarding self-medication is increasing in our population. It was concluded that in order to prevent the growing trend of this self-medication practice, policies should be deployed to prohibit the supply of drugs without prescription
Keywords: Self-medication, Abbottabad, medical students, perception