A survey of drug use patterns in western Nepal.

Abstract

One hundred and twenty individuals from 112 households had used prescribed allopathic or complementary remedies. Seventy-one point six percent of the respondents had used allopathic medicines. The commonest allopathic medicines prescribed were antibiotics and paracetamol. Complementary medicine use was more common among older respondents (> 30 years). Thirty-nine families practiced self-medication with home remedies accounting for 18.9% of the drugs used. Self-medication was more common among rural households. Complementary practitioners should be integrated into the health care system to provide health care in the rural areas. Studies on drug use patterns and on factors influencing drug use in the remote areas of Nepal are urgently required.