Pattern of Self-medication in Undergraduate Students at BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences.

Background Self-medication is a growing health problem. It may lead to wastage of resources, emergence of antimicrobial resistance, adverse drug reactions and prolonged suffering. Little has been reported on the extent of self-medication practiced in medical students in Nepal. Objective To study the pattern, reason and perception of self-medication among undergraduate students. Method A cross-sectional study was conducted among all undergraduate students at BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences, Dharan, Nepal between April and May, 2015. After obtaining ethical clearance, pre-validated questionnaire was used to collect data. The date were analyzed and presented as frequency and percentage using SPSS version 11.5. Result Total of 520 students participated in the study with a mean age of 21.2±1.7 years. Prevalence of self-medication was found to be 48.3%. Most common cause for self-medication was common cold (53.3%). Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (78.9%) were the most commonly used medicine for self-medication. The students commonly approached their seniors (50.2%) for the drug information. The most common adverse drug reaction experienced by the students was drowsiness (50.9%). Approximately one third of the students (33.2%) used to prescribe medicines to others. More than half of the students (53.8%) opined that self-medication is a part of self-care. Around one-fifth of the students (21.5%) students opined that self-medication is recommended by WHO. Conclusion Self-medication is commonly practiced by undergraduate students. Nearly one third of the students also prescribe medicines to others. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are the most commonly used medicine as self-medication. The students need to be educated regarding appropriate safe-medication.