A Cross-Sectional Study of Self-Medication Practices Among Adults of District Nowshera, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

Abstract

Self-medication is using any drug or medicine to treat illness without the physician’s advice. In the present study, we aimed to assess self-medication practices among the general population of District Nowshera, Pakistan. A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted between December 2021 and January 2022. A well-structured interview questionnaire was designed, and data were collected from 400 random participants through face-to-face interviews. The overall prevalence rate of self-medication was found to be 96.8 percent. Headache and flu were reported as the most common complaints for self-medication practice. Knowledge about medicines was the frequently reported reason for self-medication practice, while home remedies, antibiotics, and multivitamins were the leading medicines. Direct purchase from pharmacies was the main source of availability of the drugs for self-medication. In conclusion, we report a high prevalence of self-medication practices and suggest that proper education and awareness about drug use, along with strict monitoring of drug sales, are required to help minimize self-medication practices in the general population.