SELF-MEDICATION AMONG UNDERGRADUATE HEALTH SCIENCES STUDENTS IN A PRIVATE MEDICAL UNIVERSITY OF MALAYSIA–A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY
Main Article Content
Keywords
Self-medication, Undergraduate students, Health sciences, Malaysia, Cross-sectionalstudy
Abstract
Background
Self-medication is an integral part of self-care where people use the medicine on their own initiativeswith therapeutic intent but without professional advice or prescription. This study assessed the self-medication among 3rdand 4thyear undergraduate health sciences students from a private medicaluniversity of Malaysia.
Methods
A cross-sectional study was conducted among 499 pharmacy, medical and dental students of 3rdand4thyear degree programme to assess their Self-Medication (SM) using 30 pre-validated questions by convenient sampling method. Students’ responses were measured at “Yes” and “No” scale forknowledge, sources of information and types of SM. However, 3-point Likert scales (Disagree=1,Neutral=2, Agree=3) were used to measure reasons and preventive methodsfor SM. Students’responses were entered in SPSS version 24 and quantitative analyses were performed usingdescriptive statistics and non-parametric tests at p<0.05.
Interpretations and conclusion
Dental students had low knowledge about the indication (79.20%), active component (43.30%), sideeffects (65%) and dose, frequency, and duration of treatment (63.30%) compared to pharmacy andmedical students. Students’ mean scores were associated with their knowledge (p<0.001), preventivemethods (p=0.039), sources of information (p=0.013) and types of SM (p=0.018) on Chi-Square test.Mann-Whitney U test revealed a significant difference between pharmacy and dental students’ meanscores for knowledge (p<0.001), sources (p=0.013) and type of SM (p=0.048); pharmacy and medicalstudents’ mean scores for types of SM (p<0.001); dental and medical students’ mean scores forknowledge (p<0.001), reasons (p=0.048) and methods to prevent SM (p=0.023).
Study revealed a low knowledge of drug related components among dental followed by pharmacystudents that requires a sensitization towards appropriate usage of drugs and better practice of self-medication needs among future healthcare providers.
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Dinesh Kumar Upadhyay
Professor, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Jaipur National University, New RTO office,
Jagatpura, Jaipur (R.J.) India-302017
Yoshita Gupta
Doctor of Pharmacy, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Jaipur National University, New RTO
office, Jagatpura, Jaipur (R.J.), India-302017
Grishma Krishnan
Doctor of Pharmacy, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Jaipur National University, New RTO
office, Jagatpura, Jaipur (R.J.), India-302017
Ravi Kumar Mishra
Doctor of Pharmacy, Sri Aurobindo Institute of Pharmacy SAIMS Campus, Indore-Ujjain
Highway, Near MR-10 crossing, Indore (M.P.), India-453111
Shailesh Harishchandra Kendre
Doctor of Pharmacy, Progressive Education Society, Modern college of Pharmacy, Nigdi Pune,
(MAHA), India–411044
Radhika Sharma
Doctor of Pharmacy, Aurobindo Institute of Pharmacy, SAIMS Campus, Indore-Ujjain Highway, Near MR-10 crossing, Indore (M.P.), India-453111
Sonam Pandey
Causality Medical Officer, Jaipur National University Institute for Medical Sciences & Research
CentreJaipur,(R.J.), India-302017
Ronit Gandhi
Doctor of Pharmacy, Poona College of Pharmacy, Rambaug Colony, Paud Road, Erandwane Pune, (Maha), India-411038
