PREVALENCE OF PRACTICE OF SELF MEDICATION AND ITS ASSOCIATED FACTORS AMONG PATIENTS COMING TO MEDICAL OPD OF SPHMMC

Abstract

Abstract Background: Self-medication, which is a common self-care practice, is defined as obtaining and consuming drugs without the advice of heath care professionals either for diagnosis, prescription or surveillance of the treatment. Self-medications or over the counter (OTC) drugs currently play a major role in self-care, with advantages like offering individuals the choice of making independent decisions regarding their own health, preventing conditions that do not need consultation with a physician, time saving, etc. While self-medication has its advantages, it is currently becoming a problem especially in developing countries like ours. Objectives: The objective of this study was to assess the practice of self-medicationamong patients coming to Medical OPD of SPHMMC. Methods: The study was descriptive and cross-sectional type, undertaken in SPHMMC, with 3 months illness recall. It was done within two months from Marc 12 to July 7, in total number of 215 participants who were recruited by systematized random sampling method. A pre-designed and pre-tested questionnaire was used.The data was collected and analyzed using SPSS v20. Result:Of the 216 respondents, 127(58.8%) were male and 89 (41.2%) were female. The mean age of the respondent was 31.6 years (SD = 12.5). More than half of the respondents used medications without prescription. The most common medications used are anti-pain, antibiotics and anti- diarrheal. Private pharmacies are the commonest place to obtain these drugs. previous successful experiences and the perception that the disease is minor are the main reasons for the use of drugs without prescription. Conclusion: Self-medication is an important health issue in our country. Health education of the public and regulation of pharmacies may help in limiting the self-medication practices.