Self-Medication Perceptions and Practice of Medical and Pharmacy Students in Serbia

Abstract

Background. Attitudes towards conventional and complementary medicine among future healthcare professionals can impact their future pharmacotherapy practice. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and predisposing factors related to self-medication among medical and pharmacy students. Methods. This cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was performed at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Novi Sad, Serbia, on first- and final-year students of medicine and pharmacy. The multivariate Poisson regression model with robust variance was used to identify the main predictors of self-medication. Results. The overall self-medication prevalence in the past year was 81.3%. Independent risk factors for self-medication identified in the regression analysis were the final study year, housing condition, i.e., living in a leased apartment or in a student dormitory in comparison to living with parents, and cigarette consumption. The conventional drugs were the most frequently used, mostly for the symptoms of cold and pain. Final-year students had more confidence in conventional medicines than in herbal drugs and were more aware of the risks of their concomitant use. Conclusion. Self-medication is highly prevalent among students of medical sciences, especially among final-year students. Increased medical knowledge led to the higher awareness of the drug interaction risks.

A Cross-Sectional Study on Self-Medication Practices, Perception, and Attitudes of Undergraduate Medical Students at a Government Tertiary Care Teaching Hospital in Eastern India

“…In our study, the overall prevalence of SM was found to be as high as 81.6%, similar to the findings of Tomas Petrović et al [11], and Ramadan [12]. It was slightly higher than the findings of Khadka et al…”

“…Sources of obtaining medicines were pharmacy shops (78.8%) and leftovers at home/hostel (39.1%), which is somewhat similar to the findings in Tomas Petrović et al [11], Zeru et al [4], and in Shrestha et al [18].…”

“…In our study, the most common reason for resorting to SM and not visiting a doctor was "minor ailment" (72.2%). Joseph and Jain [14], Zeru et al [4], Tomas Petrović et al [11], Wahab et al [18], and Shrestha et al [20] had similar findings. The major reasons, including "prior experience," "quick relief," "time-saving," and "emergency," were largely common in several other studies as well [2,4,11,18,20,21].…”

Factors causing self-medication in nursing students

“…Khatony et al (17) dentro de su estudio cualitativo documentaron como consecuencias positivas de la automedicación de acuerdo a estudiantes de enfermería al ahorro de tiempo, que concuerda con uno de https://doi.org/10.56294/saludcyt2023312 5…”

Challenges in monitoring the safety of herbal medicines-an appraisal

“…On the other hand, irresponsible or irrational self-medication, typically with prescription-only medications, increases the chances of direct harm to the patient in the form of adverse drug reactions (Albusalih.,2017). However, even when used responsibly, Self-medication is associated with several dangers and risks for the community such as a delay in diagnosis and incorrect diagnosis, the occurrence of druginduced diseases, and the growth of public health expenditure (Tomas Petrović et al,2022).…”