Abstract

Mr. M. Senthilraja*, Mr. A. Mohammod Arkam, Mr. R. Jeevith, Mr. B. Keerthivarman. Mr. J. Sai Deavesh, Ms. P. Anusiya

ABSTRACT

Self?medication is the practice of the treatment of self?recognized illnesses by an individual with medicinal products without the supervision of a medical professional. It is a common health care behaviour in the world especially in developing countries attributed to accessibility of drugs without prescription, lack of knowledge, and financial problem. The present case study is an attempt to assess the extent, types and determinants of self-medication with reference to general people and students. The review briefly summarizes the history of self-medication, common OTC drugs and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on self-medication. A questionnaire-based survey was conducted to gather information about demographic profile, type of illness, commonly used drugs, source of information and knowledge regarding the risk imparted by self-medication. The findings indicated a significant prevalence of self-medication and that students are more prone to self-medication than the public. Analgesics, antipyretics and antibiotics were among the most commonly used drugs followed by drugs used for cough and cold. During the COVID-19 pandemic, a significant increase in self-medication was observed due to fear of contracting the infection, difficulty in accessing medical services and influences from social media and internet resources. The discussions revealed a lack of awareness about ADRs, misuse of antibiotics and the threat of antimicrobial resistance. This work outlines the importance of the healthcare professionals, mainly pharmacists, as educators of the population and promoters of the rational drug use. It is all well and good to say that self-medication is convenient, easy and fast, but if people are doing it irrationally, it could have fatal outcomes, which create necessity for awareness programs and regulatory control.