Self-medication in three towns of North West Ethiopia

Abula, Teferra; Worku, Alemayehu

doi:10.4314/ejhd.v15i1.9893

Cited by 38 publications

(45 citation statements)

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“…The study design has the strength of being population-based; however, care should be taken in applying the results as there are socio-cultural variations across the globe. 24 The prevalence of ocular self-medication among inhabitants of the Cape Coast is comparable to that in Ibadan, Nigeria 25 and some three towns of North West Ethiopia 26 indicating that practice is prevalent in comparable proportions across the continent. This phenomenon is reported as the first option approach among some rural African popuation.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 93%

Appraisal of the practice of ocular self-medication in Cape Coast Metropolis, Ghana

et al. 2014

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The purpose of the present study was to assess the practice of ocular self-medication among people of the Cape Coast Metropolis, Central Region of Ghana. A population-based survey involving 421 respondents ≥18 years old was conducted. A pre-tested interview-based questionnaire was used to collect data on demographics, ocular symptoms for which selfmedication was practiced, medical knowledge and self-care orientation. Households were systematically and randomly selected as study units. Analysis was done using SPSS version 16. Descriptive results were expressed as frequency, percentage, and mean±standard deviation, χ 2 test was used for associations, and logistic regression was used to test for predictors of the practice of ocular self-medication. Prevalence of ocular self-medication was 23.3% with itchy eye being the main ocular symptom for which self-medication was practiced. Local pharmacies were the main source of drug for ocular self-medication. There was no association between medical knowledge and the practice of ocular self-medication (χ 2 =0.126; P=0.722). Some 25.5% experienced adverse effects. In conclusion, the practice of ocular self-medication was without recourse to adequate concept of the practice of self-care but its negative effect was mitigated by the low self-care orientation of the people.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 93%

Appraisal of the practice of ocular self-medication in Cape Coast Metropolis, Ghana

et al. 2014

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“…A small proportion, around 10%–30%, of symptoms experienced by an individual are brought to the attention of a physician. The majority of symptoms are either tolerated or self-medicated 2. According to the World Health Organization, self-medication is the selection and use of medicines by individuals to treat self-recognized illnesses or symptoms 3…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Self-medication practice in Ethiopia: a systematic review

Ayalew

2017

PPA

131

152

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BackgroundSelf-medication patterns vary among different populations, and are influenced by many factors. No review has been done that comprehensively expresses self-medication practice in Ethiopia. The aim of this study was to provide an overview of the literature on self-medication practice in Ethiopia.Materials and methodsDatabases (PubMed, Google Scholar, ResearchGate, and Hinari) were searched for published studies on the practice of self-medication in Ethiopia without restriction in the year of publication or methodology. Some studies were also identified through manual Google search. Primary search terms were “self medication”, “Ethiopia”, “self care”, “non-prescription”, “OTC drug use”, “drug utilization”, and “drug hoarding”. Studies that measured knowledge only or attitude only or beliefs only and did not determine the practice of self-medication were excluded.ResultsThe database search produced a total of 450 papers. After adjustment for duplicates and inclusion and exclusion criteria, 21 articles were found suitable for the review. All studies were cross-sectional in nature. The prevalence of self-medication varied from 12.8% to 77.1%, with an average of 36.8%. Fever/headache, gastrointestinal tract diseases, and respiratory diseases were the commonest illnesses/symptoms for which self-medication was taken. The major reasons for practicing self-medication were previous experience of treating a similar illness and feeling that the illness was mild. Analgesics/antipyretics, antimicrobials, gastrointestinal drugs, and respiratory drugs were the common drug classes used in self-medication. Mainly, these drugs were obtained from drug-retail outlets. The use of self-medication was commonly suggested by pharmacy professionals and friends/relatives.ConclusionSelf-medication practice is prevalent in Ethiopia and varies in different populations and regions of the country. Some of the self-medication practices are harmful and need prompt action. Special attention should be given to educating the public and health care providers on the types of illnesses that can be self-diagnosed and self-treated and the types of drugs to be used for self-medication.

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“…However, in another study from India, and Ethiopia textbooks were reported as the most common source of information. [12][13][14][15] Most common reason for analgesic self-medication reported by our students was the illness being too trivial (Table 3). Similar observations were reported in a previous study in North West Ethiopia, the most common reported factors for self-medication were low severity of symptoms.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%