Knowledge and practices of Self-medication among sample of outpatients attendant to Baghdad teaching hospital,2019

Abstract

Background: Self-medication is the usage of medicines to resolve self-identified health issues, and it is common in many countries. The current study aimed to assess the knowledge and practices of self-medication among attendants to outpatient clinic of Baghdad teaching hospital.as well as determine association of Self-medication practice with some socio-demographic factors.

Subject and methods: The current Cross-sectional study was conducted about 460 people attended to outpatients of the Baghdad teaching hospital. during the period 1^st Jan – 30^th June 2019.

Results: The highest proportion of participants 176 (44%) was found in age groups (18-30) years , female represented in 290 (72.5%) of the study sample .Around 2/3 (266) of participants were married , and a higher proportion 218 (54.5%) of participants were government employee , and 77 (19%) of them were either unemployed or housewife .so the participants with graduate represented 241 (60%) of the study sample, postgraduate were 74 (18.5%) , For monthly income, 140 (35%) of participants were below 500,000 ID. so about 12 (43%) of them related to side effect of drugs association, 9 (32%) due to require medical experiences, 5 (18%) due to the risk of missing a diagnosis, and another 4 (14%) , for 100 (27%) of participants used drug leaflets, 86 (23%) of them used previous prescription, while 67 (18%) of study participants asking the nurse or health assistant, and reminder 41 (11%) used the mass media as a source of information about medicines, the majority of the participants 331 (89%) depended on private pharmacies and 37 (10%) of them depended on paramedics ,about half 167 (45%) of the participants mentioned the name of the drugs for requesting , and 115 (31%) of studied sample telling the symptoms of the disease to the pharmacist, and only 90 (24%) taking the drug container.

Conclusion: Self-medication is a common health care practice among attendants to outpatient of Baghdad teaching hospital; with different socio-demographic characteristic, more prevalent with young age group and low-income people.so there was a significant association between age and SM practice since elderly practice low SM because of chronic disease and their use of multiple drugs also , SM practice increases because of availability of drug and their ease access from pharmacy and other paramedics and street venders make it easy to be used specially if they used previously and become familiar with them neither in a prescription or non- prescription drug.