Behavior of Medical Students toward Over-the-Counter Drugs in Comparison to Students from Other Faculties, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Amar Fathi Mohamed Khalifa
Community Medicine, WHO consultant, College of Medicine, AlMaarefa University, Saudi Arabia.
Yasser Nabil AlKhudairy *
Medical Interns at Almaarefa University, Saudi Arabia.
Adel Ahmed Algahtani
Medical Interns at Almaarefa University, Saudi Arabia.
Bandar Mohammed Abduljabbar
Medical Interns at Almaarefa University, Saudi Arabia.
Fahad Majed Aldawsari
Medical Interns at Almaarefa University, Saudi Arabia.
Faisal Hunaidi Kharsa
Medical Interns at Almaarefa University, Saudi Arabia.
Khalid Mohammed AlSafadi
Medical Interns at Almaarefa University, Saudi Arabia.
Mazen Abdulla Mahjoub
Medical Interns at Almaarefa University, Saudi Arabia.
Naif Suliaman AlAli
Medical Interns at Almaarefa University, Saudi Arabia.
Rakan Abdulrahman AlAdwanie
Medical Interns at Almaarefa University, Saudi Arabia.
Salah Adel Abduljabbar
Medical Interns at Almaarefa University, Saudi Arabia.
Sameh Moetaz Alrouh
Medical Interns at Almaarefa University, Saudi Arabia.
Shaikh Shaheer Salim
Medical Interns at Almaarefa University, Saudi Arabia.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Background: Over-the-counter-drugs (OTC) are drugs that can be obtained by patients without a prescription from a physician. In Saudi Arabia, it has been reported that more than half of university students practiced self-medication and used OTC drugs.
Methods: An institutional-based cross-sectional study, among medical and non-medical students in Riyadh. The sample size was 421, by systemic random sampling. A pre-coded pre-tested online questionnaire was used. Data was analyzed using SPSS V 23. P-value ≤ 0.05 was considered significant.
Results: There was no significant relationship between what the participants were majoring in and the usage of OTC drugs (p value= 0.373). Gender also had no relation with the use of OTC (p value= 0.168). Panadol appeared as the most commonly used OTC drug 62.9% for the relief of the most commonly mentioned factor which is headache 50.12%.
Conclusion: Medical education didn’t have much of an effect on the use of OTC drugs. Moreover, professional guidance or advice was not considered most of the time for taking OTC, but the majority of respondents portrayed good behavior towards usage of OTC.
Keywords: OTC, drugs, students, Saudi Arabia, Medication