Evaluation of self medication among professional students of Rajampet

Abstract

The objective of this study was to describe and examine the branded medicines used by professional students awareness trust in medicine system, reasons behind self-medication, drug information resources, and knowledge of drug profile. Samples of 300 young students belonging to two professional colleges in Rajampet, Kadapa district were selected. An inclusion criterion was 18-25 years a total of 38 students were excluded in accordance with the exclusion criteria like incomplete information. The prevalence of self-medication among professional students was 78.62%. About 54.19% has a positive trust in allopathic medicines, 27.48% students ayurvedic, homeopathy medicine 13.74%, Sidda 4.58%. Most of the self-medication was involved with headache and fever, cough & cold, abdominal pain, diarrhoea, running nose and eye conjunctivitis, & others. Respondents were using Schedule H drugs/potent drugs for minor illness. The results are based on feed backs, which were provided by respondents included in study. The percentage of self-medication might be a change along with locality and region. This descriptive survey shows that the majority of professional students had a poor knowledge about appropriate self- medication while knowledge of the benefits and risks was not adequate. A number of students consult pharmacists and follow advertisements on drug information.