The Evaluation of the Awareness, Attitude and Practice of the Elderly Toward Self-Medication: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Considering the increase in self-medication among the elderly, adherence to prescription criteria for drug among this age group is recommended. Finally, designing and implementing various educational programs in health education center is necessary for the elderly and their families for the purpose of improving awareness and practice.

Prevalence of self-medication among the elderly: A systematic review and meta-analysis

“…The reported duration for self-medication prevalence varied between the moment of the study[ 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 ] and two years[ 38 ] in the cross-sectional studies and about two decades in a case report. [ 39 ] Except for 6 case reports that reported self-medication in the elderly, 17 cross-sectional studies included only individuals above 60 years old,[ 26 27 29 30 31 36 38 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 ] and others considered both the young and the elderly. Of the 38 cross-sectional studies, 37 included women and men, and 1 considered only men.…”

“…[ 28 37 ] Twelve studies were conducted in Asia. [ 29 35 36 39 41 42 43 48 62 63 64 65 ] The remaining were carried out in Europe[ 25 31 32 33 46 66 67 ] and Africa. [ 49 68 69 ]…”

Prevalence and dental professional awareness of antibiotic self‐medication among older adults: Implications for dental education

“…15,16 Based on international data, the trend of self-medication was found to be particularly high among the elderly. [17][18][19][20][21] Most of these studies attributed self-medication and especially SMNPA in older adults to socioeconomic factors and lack of access to medical care. [15][16][17]22,23 Other research cites chronic illness, living alone, and increased use of medications with age.…”

“…[17][18][19][20][21] Most of these studies attributed self-medication and especially SMNPA in older adults to socioeconomic factors and lack of access to medical care. [15][16][17]22,23 Other research cites chronic illness, living alone, and increased use of medications with age. 17 Antibiotics are one of the most commonly implicated drug classes for adverse drug events; however, there is a paucity of data concerning the likelihood of adverse outcomes secondary to SMNPA among older adults.…”

“…[15][16][17]22,23 Other research cites chronic illness, living alone, and increased use of medications with age. 17 Antibiotics are one of the most commonly implicated drug classes for adverse drug events; however, there is a paucity of data concerning the likelihood of adverse outcomes secondary to SMNPA among older adults. A recent study found that adults aged 65 and older in the United States were dispensed 51.6 million antibiotic prescriptions annually (1115 prescriptions per 1000 persons) and that the number increased with persons age 75 and older.…”