Prevalence and pattern of self-medication among undergraduate students in a medical college of Kolkata

Abstract

Background: Self-medication is quite a prevalent public health problem in every part of the world. It can cause serious harms to the recipients through various implications like adverse drug reactions, incomplete cure, drug dependence etc. Medical students are in a unique position for wide practice of self-medication. The current study aimed to estimate the prevalence and to find out the existing knowledge, attitude and pattern of practice regarding self-medication among the undergraduate medical students of ESIC Medical College, Joka, Kolkata. Methods: A cross-sectional study had been conducted among 300 undergraduate medical students through an online survey with the help of a predesigned pretested digital questionnaire. The participants fulfilling the inclusion criteria were included by complete enumeration method after taking informed consent. Results: The overall prevalence of ever-use of self-medication was 65%. Majority had some knowledge about actual definition of self-medication (74%), hazards due to change of time schedule of antibiotics (59.7%), hazards due to increase in dose of antibiotics (64%), adverse drug reactions of different antibiotics (65%) and importance of completing the dosage schedule of antibiotics (56.7%); the most common source of their information being textbooks or teachers (74%). Most common indications for self-medication were fever (79.6%), followed by cough and cold (74.8%), pain (61.4%), indigestion (51.3) and diarrhoea (43.3%). The most common drugs used were antacids (81.2%), analgesics (72.1%), antipyretics (53.2%) and antibiotics (43.3%). The major reason for practice of selfmedication was minor illness (74.3%). Conclusions: Self-medication was widely prevalent among the medical students of ESIC Medical College, Joka, Kolkata. Continuous counselling activities with proper information through inclusion of this topic to academic course are the need of the hour to halt this malpractice.

Prevalence of self medication practice among students of a medical college

“…The findings were in congruence with other studies. 3,6,7,9 Majority (38%) of the respondents gathered information about self medication from the previously prescribed medicines of physicians followed by using medical textbooks (36%), self decision (33%), opinion from family/friends (26%), online through internet (22%) which was consistent with the other research work done by Jakaria. M et al and Seam MOR et al where students learned medications from doctor's prescription provided during their previous illness.…”

“…In studies conducted in developing countries, the prevalence of self medication was shown to be 94% in Oman, 90% in Iran, 65% in India, 62.9% in Egypt. 3,4,6,[9][10][11] Poor implementation of pharmaceutical rules due to various reasons like lack of adequate supervision by the concerned authorities may be the reason for high prevalence of self medication.…”

Prevalence, knowledge, attitude and practice regarding self-medication among medical, dental and paramedical students in a tertiary care hospital

“…These finding were similar to earlier findings. 7,13 With best of author's knowledge, no Indian data is available for allied health and physiotherapy students. But few studies have been done on nursing students.…”

“…Similar results were noticed in previous studies. 7,11 Dental students have reported cough/ common cold as the most common symptom followed fever. This outcome was similarly noticed in former study.…”

“…6 A study had described that educated people practiced selfmedication more than illiterates. 7 Higher education and professional status has been mentioned as predictive factor. 8 It is equally practiced by doctors as well by medical students.…”