No abstract

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Objective: To describe and analyze the demographic and pharmacological characteristics of self-medication trends among a geriatric urban population in a community. Materials and Methods: This structured interview-based, cross-sectional survey was conducted among elderly subjects of either sex in an urban community, who visited two pre-identified, retail pharmacies in a sub-urban locality, for procuring sundry medicinal products of their choice, without a valid prescription. Institutional ethics approval was duly obtained. Respondents (n=108) readily shared the information as sought regarding the encounter. The data were captured by trained field staff in a pre-designed data sheet, maintaining full confidentiality. Results: The subjects (n=108) were predominantly (64.81%) male, with an average age of 65.95 years. The subjects mostly retired from job. Only 21.29% of them asked for particular brands, whereas just 5.55% subjects asked for a generic product. Majority of the subjects (73.14%) sought for medical help and received it from the dispenser at the counter. Antibiotics, on most occasions, were dispensed for inappropriate indication and duration. On an average, the cost of the medicines procured in a single encounter by the employed and unemployed were Rs 51.86 and Rs 21.86 respectively. Conclusion: Self-medication trends in elderly are a disturbing problem that needs to be carefully addressed. Pilot study such as the present one is easy to carry out, and can rapidly yield information about the true nature of self medication trends among the elderly. This can help in designing effective and appropriately targeted interventions in the future.