A STUDY OF PREVALANCE OF SELF MEDICATION PRACTICE AMONG PEOPLE OF MUMBAI
Keywords:
Self-medication, Questionnaire, Mumbai, PharmacistAbstract
Objective: This study was undertaken to describe and examine the self medication pattern in Mumbai.
Methods: Self prepared, pre-tested and validated questionnaire were employed as a tool for data collection. Questionnaire, containing open-ended and close-ended questions, was administered to the subjects. 40 different localities which cover various parts of Mumbai-city and Mumbai-suburbans were targeted. A sample of 400 families was randomly selected for the study. Data were analyzed and the results expressed as counts and percentages.
Results: The study showed that 85% respondents practice self medication which reflects high prevalence of self medication. The respondents found self medication to be time-saving, economical, convenient and providing quick relief in common illnesses. The most common indications for self medication were headache, body ache, cough, cold, sore throat, dysmenorrhea, fever. Analgesics, antipyretics, antibiotics use was high in numbers. Chemist/Pharmacist and internet were the major source of information followed by friends and old prescriptions.
Conclusion: Knowledge about appropriate self-medication was poor; practice of self medication was quite high and inappropriate. Self-medication is an area where government and health authorities needs to ensure that it is done in a responsible manner, ensuring that safe drugs are made available over the counter and the consumer is given adequate information about the use of drugs. Pharmacist can play an important role in educating the people for the same and dispensing the medication only on a valid prescription.
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References
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