Author(s):
1. Amna Noor:
Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Rawalpindi Medical College,Rawalpindi,Pakistan.
2. Seemi Gull:
Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Rawalpindi Medical College, Rawalpindi, Pakistan.
3. Shahzad Manzoor:
Department of Medicine Benazir Bhutto Hospital
and Rawalpindi Medical College, Pakistan
Abstract:
Background: To evaluate the prevalence of antibiotic self medication and to assess the knowledge and reasons for the misuse of antibiotics. Methods: In this cross sectional study 187 non medical employees of Rawalpindi Medical College were enrolled. Questionnaire was designed to assess reported purchase, name and use of antibiotic without prescription. Results: The most commonly named antibiotic purchased and used without a prescription was Coamoxiclav(37%) followed by Amoxicillin(22%). There was a significant difference between the educational level and antibiotics at the probability level of <0.05. Sore throat (27%) was the common condition for the use of antibiotics followed by fever and diarrhea (14%). Ten females out of 43 (23%) were the mother of 1-2 children, they commonly used Ceftriaxone (5%) for the cure of their children. Employees belonging to level 1 were illiterate; they never used antibiotics without prescription. Only 30% correctly named an antibiotic as the medicine purchased. Among the respondents who purchased an antibiotic without a prescription, 70% used medicine for inadequate duration (< 5days) or at wrong dosing intervals. Conclusion: Prevalence of self medication with antimicrobials is high in educated employees, despite majority being aware of its harmful effects.
Page(s):
153-155
DOI:
DOI not available
Published:
Journal: Journal of Rawalpindi Medical College, Volume: 18, Issue: 1, Year: 2014
Keywords:
Selfmedication
,
non prescription
,
antimicrobials
References:
References are not available for this document.
Citations
Citations are not available for this document.