TY - JOUR
T1 - Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice on Over-the-Counter Drugs Among Pharmacy and Medical Students
T2 - A Facility-Based Cross-Sectional Study
AU - Bekele, Kidist Mulugeta
AU - Abay, Ahmed Moges
AU - Mengistu, Kidist Abiye
AU - Atsbeha, Berhanemeskel Weldegerima
AU - Demeke, Chilot Abiyu
AU - Belay, Wudneh Simegn
AU - Yimenu, Dawit Kumilachew
PY - 2020/9/15
Y1 - 2020/9/15
N2 - Background: Self-medication with over-the-counter (OTC) medications is common among medicine and health science students. For safe use of OTC medications, students are expected to have proper knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) towards OTC medications and subsequent adverse drug reactions (ADRs).Objective: The aim of this study was to assess KAP of OTC medications use and related factors among medical and pharmacy students at the University of Gondar, Gondar, Northwest Ethiopia.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted. Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire and analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 24. Chi-square analysis was conducted and multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to determine the association between KAP and OTC use and its related adverse effects. A P value of less than 0.05 was used to declare statistical significance.Results: A total of 380 students (229 medical students and 151 pharmacy students) participated in the study. The majority of the respondents 303 (79.7%) reported that they have the practice of self-medication. Fever 69 (80.2%), headache 21 (24.4%), and abdominal cramp 20 (23.3%) were the most common conditions for which the students go for selfmedication while paracetamol 51 (59.3%) followed by non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) 44 (51.2%) were the most commonly used classes of drugs. An intention for timesaving caused by the waiting time due to crowds in medical consultation rooms 212 (77.4%) and a desire for quick relief 171 (62.4%) were the main reasons for the self-medication practice with OTC medications.Conclusion: Self-medication is widely practiced among medical and pharmacy students. Significant problems and malpractices were identified, such as sharing of OTC medications, the use of expired medicines, doubling the dose of medications when they were ineffective, storage of OTC medications, and not reading labels and expiry dates.
AB - Background: Self-medication with over-the-counter (OTC) medications is common among medicine and health science students. For safe use of OTC medications, students are expected to have proper knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) towards OTC medications and subsequent adverse drug reactions (ADRs).Objective: The aim of this study was to assess KAP of OTC medications use and related factors among medical and pharmacy students at the University of Gondar, Gondar, Northwest Ethiopia.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted. Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire and analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 24. Chi-square analysis was conducted and multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to determine the association between KAP and OTC use and its related adverse effects. A P value of less than 0.05 was used to declare statistical significance.Results: A total of 380 students (229 medical students and 151 pharmacy students) participated in the study. The majority of the respondents 303 (79.7%) reported that they have the practice of self-medication. Fever 69 (80.2%), headache 21 (24.4%), and abdominal cramp 20 (23.3%) were the most common conditions for which the students go for selfmedication while paracetamol 51 (59.3%) followed by non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) 44 (51.2%) were the most commonly used classes of drugs. An intention for timesaving caused by the waiting time due to crowds in medical consultation rooms 212 (77.4%) and a desire for quick relief 171 (62.4%) were the main reasons for the self-medication practice with OTC medications.Conclusion: Self-medication is widely practiced among medical and pharmacy students. Significant problems and malpractices were identified, such as sharing of OTC medications, the use of expired medicines, doubling the dose of medications when they were ineffective, storage of OTC medications, and not reading labels and expiry dates.
KW - self-medication
KW - pharmacy students
KW - medical students
KW - over-the-counter
KW - Gondar
KW - SELF-MEDICATION
KW - UNIVERSITY-STUDENTS
KW - PRESCRIPTION
KW - PREVALENCE
KW - AWARENESS
UR - https://www.webofscience.com/wos/woscc/full-record/WOS:000569360000001
U2 - 10.2147/IPRP.S266786
DO - 10.2147/IPRP.S266786
M3 - Article
SN - 2230-5254
VL - 9
SP - 135
EP - 146
JO - Integrated Pharmacy Research and Practice
JF - Integrated Pharmacy Research and Practice
ER -