::INDO AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES::

CODEN : IAJPBB
issn 2349-7750

News Updates Latest Volumes: COSMOS IMPACT FACTOR (2018)- 4.153, GLOBAL IMPACT FACTOR(2014) - 0.384, (2015) - 0.437, Indo American Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences,

ResearcherID - CLICK HERE Scientific Journal Impact Factor (SJIF-2020) - CLICK HERE

TITLE:

KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDE, PRACTICE AND PERCEPTION REGARDING SELF MEDICATION OF ANTIBIOTICS AMONG MEDICAL AND NON-MEDICAL UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS OF PUNJAB, PAKISTAN

AUTHORS:

Faiqa Amin, Bazla Syed, Anoosha Yousaf, Iqra Tahir

ABSTRACT:

Introduction: Self-medication is “the use of drugs to treat self-diagnosed disorders or symptoms, or the intermittent or continued use of a prescribed drug for chronic or recurrent disease or symptoms.” Objective: The objective of the study is to assess the knowledge, attitude and practice regarding self- medication among medical and non- medical students of Punjab, Pakistan. Study setting: The study was carried out among medical and nonmedical undergraduate students of Punjab, Pakistan. Study Design: Cross-sectional observational descriptive study. Duration: 2nd April 2020 to 2nd June 2020. Sample size: 246students. Data collection: A predesigned questionnaire was used for the collection of data in this research. The questionnaire consisted of two parts. First part was about bio-data and second part was about the actual research. Data analysis: Data was analyzed. Frequencies were calculated, tables and charts were made. Results: The survey revealed that 88.2% knew that self-medication involves taking medicine without prescription and 93.5% believed that self-medication of antibiotics can lead to health hazards. About 77.2% had information related to dose of course. Regarding side effects 67.1% were aware. About 51.2 % knew about the indications and contraindications of antibiotics. About 58.1% disagreed that self-medication is convenient than consulting doctors while 41.9% thought it’s the better option. Only 35.8 % believed that it is okay to self-medicate without a prescription and 23.3% trusted past experiences. During last 6 months 46.3% used antibiotics without prescription. Regarding cause of hazards, 16.2% answered wrong diagnosis, 4.47% answered wrong dosage, 0.81% considered wrong route of administration, 0.4% thought drug interaction, 2.84% answered drug reactions while 80.9% thought all factors play role. About 75.2% participants believed that antibiotics should be taken until the completion of course, 10.6% thought it should be taken for less than 3 days, 7.7% thought it should be taken for more than 7 days, while 6.5% believed it should be continued until symptoms disappear. In case of adverse effects 84.6% would consult a doctor, 10.6% would discontinue the antibiotic, 3.66% would switch to another one and 1.14% would continue the treatment. 61% got to know about the dosage by consulting a doctor, 9.3% obtained information by checking the packet insert, 15% had previous experience, 6.5% found out from friends and family, 8.1% guessed the dose. Conclusion: Most of the participants had adequate level of knowledge, good perception and negative attitude regarding self-medication of antibiotics. Keywords: Self-medication, Antibiotics, Knowledge, Attitude, Practice, Perception.