Self-medication practice among undergraduate medical students of a Saudi tertiary institution

• Published in: Tropical journal of pharmaceutical research 2019-07, Vol.15 (10)
• Main Authors: Albasheer, Osama B, Mahfouz, Mohammed Salih, Masmali, Boshra M, Ageeli, Rawan A, Majrashi, Aisha M, Hakami, Afaf N, Hakami, Zainab H, Hakami, Alhanoof A, Douf, Tahani A
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Awareness; Medical students; Prevalence; Sedatives; Self-medication
• ISSN: 1596-5996

Purpose: To assess the knowledge, attitude and magnitude of self-medication among medical students of Jazan University, Jazan, Saudi Arabia. Methods: A cross-sectional, self-administered questionnaire-based study was conducted among undergraduate medical students of Jazan University, Jazan, Saudi Arabia. A total of 300 students were selected by random sampling. Results: Self-medication practice was highly prevalent among the medical students, with 87 % reporting that they indulge in it. Self-medication was more prevalent among female students than male. Sedatives were the most common drugs used by students for self-medication (58 %). The most common reason adduced for self-medication practice was their belief that they have sufficient information, previous experience, and the experience of others, such as family members and colleagues, with regard to the drugs. A huge proportion (84.5 %) of the respondents agreed that selfmedication could be harmful and is associated with adverse effects, while 52.6 % stated that they would not advise other persons to indulge in self-medication. Conclusion: Self-medication is prevalent among third-year medical students of Jazan University in Saudi Arabia. Although the students exhibited sufficient awareness of self-medication, the findings highlight the need for intervention programmes regarding the practice of self-medication.