Akande-Sholabi Wuraola, Ajamu Amen T, Adisa Rasaq
Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacy Administration, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria.
J Pharm Policy Pract. 2021 Jun 10;14(1):49. doi: 10.1186/s40545-021-00331-w.
Globally, self-medication is a common practice, and an increasingly perceived necessity to relieve burdens on health services. However, inappropriate self-medication may result to reduced health outcomes, increased antimicrobial resistance and economic waste. Healthcare students are the future health professionals who will be consistently responsible for educating the public on rational use of medication. This study therefore aimed to assess the prevalence, knowledge and perception of self-medication practices among healthcare students.
A cross-sectional study was carried out among 866 healthcare students in a Nigerian University, comprising medical, nursing and pharmacy students. Information was garnered from respondents using a self-administered questionnaire. Data were summarized with descriptive statistics, while Chi-square and logistic regression tests were used for categorical variables at p < 0.05.
Mean age was 21 ± 2.8 years, and female respondents were 447 (51.6%). Prevalence of self-medication among respondents was 473 (54.6%). A total of 288 (55.3%) demonstrated good knowledge of self-medication practices, comprising 250 (52.2%) among those who have previously self-medicated and 229 (47.8%) among those who had not. Reasons for engaging in self-medication practices were mentioned to include treatment of minor ailments (357; 32.4%), while 248 (22.5%) believed they had the medical knowledge of what to use. Analgesic (353; 30.1%), antimalarial (352; 30.0%), and antibiotics (182; 15.5%) were the commonest classes of medication used for self-medication. Headache (363; 18.4%), malaria (334; 16.9%), and cough (184; 9.3%) were the most frequently treated conditions. More than half (281; 59.4%) of the respondents' purchased their self-medicated drugs from the community pharmacy. Gender and respondents' disciplines were found to be the independent predictors for good knowledge of self-medication practice.
Prevalence of self-medication among the studied healthcare students is moderately high, while approximately half demonstrates good knowledge and perception of self-medication practices. Stimulation for self-medication practice largely arise from the perception of treating minor ailments. This underscores a need for advocacy on responsible self-medication practice during the formal training of these future health professionals, in order to avert its imminent/widespread negative consequences.
在全球范围内，自我药疗是一种常见的做法，并且越来越被视为减轻卫生服务负担的必要手段。然而，不恰当的自我药疗可能会导致健康状况下降、抗菌素耐药性增加以及经济浪费。医学生是未来的卫生专业人员，将持续负责对公众进行合理用药教育。因此，本研究旨在评估医学生自我药疗行为的患病率、知识水平和认知情况。
在尼日利亚一所大学的866名医学生中开展了一项横断面研究，这些学生包括医学、护理和药学专业的学生。通过自填式问卷从受访者那里收集信息。数据用描述性统计进行汇总，而卡方检验和逻辑回归检验用于p<0.05的分类变量。
平均年龄为21±2.8岁，女性受访者有447人（51.6%）。受访者中自我药疗的患病率为473人（54.6%）。共有288人（55.3%）对自我药疗行为有良好的认知，其中包括250人（52.2%）曾进行过自我药疗的学生和229人（47.8%）未进行过自我药疗的学生。提到进行自我药疗行为的原因包括治疗小病（357人；32.4%），而248人（22.5%）认为他们具备用药的医学知识。镇痛药（353人；30.1%）、抗疟药（35二、30.0%）和抗生素（182人；15.5%）是自我药疗最常用的药物类别。头痛（363人；18.4%）、疟疾（334人；16.9%）和咳嗽（184人；9.3%）是最常治疗的病症。超过一半（281人；59.4%）的受访者从社区药店购买自我药疗的药物。发现性别和受访者的专业是自我药疗行为良好认知的独立预测因素。
在所研究的医学生中，自我药疗的患病率中等偏高，而约一半的学生对自我药疗行为有良好的认知和理解。自我药疗行为的动机主要源于对治疗小病的认知。这凸显了在这些未来卫生专业人员的正规培训期间，倡导负责任的自我药疗行为的必要性，以避免其即将出现/广泛的负面后果。
