Self-medication Survey among Pharmacy Students in Iraq

Abstract

Background: Self-medication (SM) is the self-administration of treatment without a medical prescription or consultation or guidance from a physician or a health-care provides. Aim and Objectives: This study aims at understanding the existing prevalence of self-medication (SM) and finding out underlying circumstances among pharmacy students of the two universities. Materials and Methods: A study was undertaken involving pharmacy students of two universities in Baghdad. The students' responses obtained from a self-administered questionnaire were analyzed to assess the prevalence and attitude of students toward SM. Results: The data obtained from a valid questionnaire form answered by 188 students revealed that 63.3% had indulged in SM, and 39.9% reported practicing on rare occasions. The majority (48.9%) relied on the information received from the pharmacist with 44.7% and 16% of them had used over-the-counter and prescription-only medicines, respectively. 54.8% of participants were against SM but reported that it could be used in rare situations. Conclusions: The prevalence of SM was high among study participants. Therefore, necessary steps are needed to create awareness about the irrational use of SM and prevent the sale of medicines without a prescription.

Self-medication practices with antibiotics among phase I MBBS students in a peripheral medical college of West Bengal

“…About 36.6% of the students who are practicing self-medication were of the opinion that selfmedication is not an acceptable practice. This result is quite similar to that of a study done by Salih and Abd, 9 where 63% students practiced self-medication and 45% received information from community pharmacists regarding selfmedication. In their study, 55% were not in favor of the practice of self-medication compared to 36.6% in the present study.…”

Factors causing self-medication in nursing students

“…En relación a las fuentes de información como factor de automedicación se encuentran los medios de comunicación mencionados por Kanwal et al (16) , la recomendación de familiares de acuerdo con Galán et al (14) y la información proveniente del farmaceuta. (20) En este estudio lo que más se asemeja a las fuentes de información mencionadas es el fácil acceso a las farmacias y/o boticas y el fácil acceso a internet, lo cual no hay que dejar de lado ya que es una fuente principal de información al momento de recurrir a la automedicación. Finalmente, se tiene que los factores que causan la automedicación son los síntomas leves de acuerdo con este estudio que coincide con el trabajo de Galán et al (14) y Muri & Secoli, (13) quienes proponen como causantes de la automedicación a la leve sintomatología de cualquier patología.…”

Hemşirelerin Kendi Kendine İlaç Kullanma ve Önerme Durumlarının İncelenmesi

“…Kendi kendine ilaç kullanma yaygın önemli bir halk sağlığı sorunudur. Tıp fakültesi öğrencilerinin %83,1'nin 18 , eczacılık bölümü öğrencilerinin %63,3'nün 19 , hemşire öğrencin %87-89.9'nun 9,20 kendi kendine ilaç aldığı bildirilmektedir. Toplumda yaşayan bireyler üzerinde yapılan çalışmalarda hastaneye başvuran bireylerde 21 %61,3, oral sağlık sorunu olanlarda %50,4; ergenlerde %54,8'nin 22 , ebeveynler de ise %69,2 23 kendi kendine ilaç kullandığı bildirilmiştir.…”