An overview of self-medication: A major cause of antibiotic resistance and a threat to global public health | [Journal of Pakistan Medical Association • 2021]

Author(s):

1. Mubasher Rehman: Department of Microbiology, Hazara University Mansehra,KPK,Pakistan

2. Shehzad Ahmed: Department of Microbiology, Hazara University Mansehra,KPK,Pakistan

3. Umair Ahmed: Department of Microbiology, Hazara University Mansehra,KPK,Pakistan

4. Kosar Tamanna: Department of Microbiology, Hazara University Mansehra,KPK,Pakistan

5. Muhammad Shehryar Sabir: Department of Microbiology, Hazara University Mansehra,KPK,Pakistan

6. Zeeshan Niaz: Department of Microbiology, Hazara University Mansehra,KPK,Pakistan

Abstract:

Self-medication is the use of medicines by people on the basis of their own experience without consulting a doctor. People use medicines for pain management or to cure a disease and sometime this may be unnecessary. There are a lot of public and professional health concerns about misuse of medicines and globally physicians agree upon this rising issue that leads to antibiotic resistance. In developing countries, medicines without prescription are easily available which results in many adverse outcomes, especially bacterial resistance. Insufficient healthcare services and socioeconomic factors result in increased proportion of self-medication compared to drugs prescribed by physicians. The current narrative review was planned to focus on indicating prevalence rate of selfmedication in different developed and under-developed countries, major risk factors and control of self-medication due to which antibiotic resistance rate can be minimised. The issue needs urgent attention of representative authorities for taking serious actions. Furthermore, arranging awareness seminars and implementing new policies/regulations to prevent the sale of any drug/antibiotic without prescription could play a vital role in bringing this alarming issue under control.

Page(s): 943-949

DOI: DOI not available

Published: Journal: Journal of Pakistan Medical Association, Volume: 71, Issue: 3, Year: 2021

Keywords:

prevalence , antibiotics , Selfmedication , Bacterial resistance

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