A Cross-Sectional Study to Investigate the Prevalence of Self-Medication of Non-Opioid Analgesics Among Medical Students at Qassim University, Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Purpose Self-medication (SM) using non-opioid analgesics (NOA) is contentious and increasingly recognized as a major public health concern with severe consequences, including masking of malignant and fatal diseases, risk of misdiagnosis, problems relating to over- and under-dosing, drug interactions, incorrect dosage, and choice of therapy. Herein, we aim to determine the prevalence of SM with NOA among pharmacy and medical students at Unaizah College, Qassim University, Saudi Arabia. Patients and Methods A cross-sectional study using a validated self-administered questionnaire was conducted on 709 pharmacy and medicine students belonging to an age group of 21–24 years from Unaizah Colleges. Data were statistically analyzed using SPSS version 21. Results Of 709 participants, 635 responded to the questionnaire. Our results showed a prevalence percentage of 89.6% using self-medicated NOA for pain management. The most common factor leading to SM in NOA was the mild nature of the illness (50.6%), and headache/migraine (66.8%) was the dominant health problem. Paracetamol (acetaminophen, 73.7%) was the most commonly used analgesic, followed by ibuprofen (16.5%). The most common and reliable sources of drug information were pharmacists (51.5%). Conclusion We observed a high rate of SM for NOA among undergraduate students. We believe that the adverse consequences of SM could be controlled through educational, regulatory, and administrative strategies by providing appropriate awareness sessions, and the role of pharmacists should be highlighted in preventing SM from NOA.

Propranolol Use Among Healthcare Students in Saudi Arabia

“…These challenges can have an adverse effect on their mental health, leading to various psychological problems such as anxiety and depression. Within this group, it is suspected that propranolol, which is known to reduce anxiety, may be misused [16][17][18][19][20].…”

“…The sample size was calculated using Slovin's formula, with a population size of 635 Medical Students al Qassim University, Saudi Arabia, from a recently published study by Elghazaly A et al (2023), with a confidence interval (CI) of 95% and a margin of error of 5% (17). The study was conducted using a Google Form template and distributed to the target population using social media (WhatsApp, Telegram, and Twitter).…”