Nabi Nusrat, Baluja Zenis, Mukherjee Shoma, Kohli Sunil
Department of Pharmacology, Hamdard Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, New Delhi, India.
Department of Medicine, Hamdard Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, New Delhi, India.
J Pharm Bioallied Sci. 2022 Jan-Mar;14(1):19-24. doi: 10.4103/jpbs.jpbs_17_21. Epub 2022 May 19.
Self-medication with antibiotics (SMA) without the consultation of a professional is a serious health concern and can lead to serious health hazard. This study was designed to evaluate the trends in SMA behavior and risk factors in medical undergraduates to further explore the association between SMA practices and adverse drug events (ADEs).
This cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was carried out among 360 volunteering medical undergraduates at a tertiary care teaching hospital in New Delhi.
67.78% of students (244/360) gave a history of SMA practice with females dominating (54.09%). Out of 244 students giving a positive history of SMA, 182 (74.59%) experienced ADE, reflecting a strong positive association between the two. Convenience (86.07%) was observed to be the main reason of practicing SMA in this study. Over-the-counter sale of prescription-only drugs, namely antibiotics by the community pharmacies, is as high as 90.16%, leading to the main source of acquiring antibiotics for self-medication. Fever (47.54%) and respiratory infections (39.34%) emerged as the major indications for SMA. Extended-spectrum penicillins (60.66%) were the most commonly used class of antibiotics for SMA.
Our findings endorse high SMA prevalence among Indian medical students. Strict regulations on antibiotic sales and public education reinforced by strong antibiotic stewardship program at all levels are highly recommended.
未经专业咨询自行使用抗生素（SMA）是一个严重的健康问题，可能导致严重的健康危害。本研究旨在评估医学本科生SMA行为的趋势和风险因素，以进一步探讨SMA行为与药物不良事件（ADEs）之间的关联。
本横断面问卷调查研究在新德里一家三级护理教学医院的360名志愿医学本科生中进行。
67.78%的学生（244/360）有SMA行为史，其中女生占主导（54.09%）。在244名有SMA阳性史的学生中，182名（74.59%）经历了ADE，这反映了两者之间有很强的正相关。在本研究中，便利性（86.07%）被认为是进行SMA的主要原因。社区药店非处方销售处方药（即抗生素）的比例高达90.16%，这是自我用药获取抗生素的主要来源。发热（47.54%）和呼吸道感染（39.34%）是SMA的主要指征。广谱青霉素（60.66%）是SMA最常用的抗生素类别。
我们的研究结果证实印度医学生中SMA的患病率很高。强烈建议在各级通过强有力的抗生素管理计划加强对抗生素销售的严格监管和公众教育。
