Assessment of Self Medication Practices Among Community People

Abstract

In India, self-medication is an obvious choice with the risk of adverse drug reactions, drug resistance, disease hidden progress, and with raising morbidity or mortality as health care is relatively expensive and availability of prescription drugs as an OTC medication. We aimed to assess the practice of self medication, educate and curtail self-medication. A community-based survey was conducted among the age group of 16 -60 year people who visits community pharmacies and students in Rajiv Gandhi institute of medical sciences, by using a well structured questionnaire the data was collected and analyzed to determine the practice. A total of 42.10% had taken self-medication for body pains and fever, 36.40% for headache, 27.19% for Cold, 21.05% for Cough. Oral tablet was frequently used (90.35%) dosage form. In class of medications, 77.63% were NSAIDs. We observed that 23.24% of the patients were come to the pharmacies to refill their old prescriptions without physician authentication for their own and neighbors. Almost 35 % were practiced selfmedication for 1-5 years. We conclude that a stringent regulatory authority monitoring is essential to minimize and prevent the practice and hazards of self-medication. And also periodical awareness campaigns in community will reduce this practice.