SELF MEDICATION PRACTICES AMONG UNDERGRADUATE MEDICAL STUDENTS OF GOVERNMENT MEDICAL, SRINAGAR – A QUESTIONNAIRE- BASED STUDY

*Tansila Rashid Khan, Sameena Farhat and Muzaffar Ahmad Pukhta

ABSTRACT

Self-medication (SM) is a growing healthcare problem worldwide and poses a major problem due to manifestations of adverse drug reactions, drug interactions, resistance to antibiotics, drug toxicities, leading to increased morbidity and mortality. SM among undergraduate medical students is a common thing due to various factors which include time constraint, false belief that young individuals seldom have any serious diseases, confidence of their newly acquired knowledge regarding pharmacology, which is a part of their curriculum. Although SM has advantages like saving time and quick relief, these practices could sometimes lead to more harm than good. So it is of utmost importance to take a cautious approach while prescribing medications to oneself or others. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study conducted to assess SM practices among the undergraduate medical students of Government Medical College, Srinagar. The data was collected using a pre-structured questionnaire and then analyzed using appropriate statistical methods. Results: A total of 124 students participated in the study which included 78 (63.9%) females and 44 (36.1%) males. The reasons for SM included minor ailments in 68 (62.5%) followed by confidence of their knowledge of pharmacology in 36 (32.7%). The drugs commonly used were PPI’s in 65 (52.4%), followed by antibiotics in 27 (21.7%), antipyretics 15 (12%), analgesics in 11 (8.8%). Only 76 (70.4%) students were aware of the dosage and frequency of administration. Only 102 (94.4%) students were aware of the route of administration. Conclusion: Potential risks of self-medication practices include incorrect diagnosis, delays in seeking medical advice, ADR’s, dangerous drug interactions, incorrect manner of administration, incorrect dosage, incorrect choice of therapy and risk of dependence and abuse which may sometimes lead to increased morbidity and mortality and therefore caution needs to be taken while taking or prescribing drugs.

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