Self-medication with antibiotics and anti-malarial drugs among rural dwellers in Enugu State, Nigeria
Keywords:
Self-medication, Antibiotics, Anti-malarial drugs, NigeriaAbstract
Background: Responsible self-medication is useful in preventing and treating minor illnesses that may not require medical consultation. However, Self-medication has been reported to cause increased costs, increased antimicrobial resistance, prolonged suffffering and drug dependence. This study aimed to assess the practice of and associated risk factors for self-medication with antibiotics and antimalarial drugs among rural dwellers in South-Eastern Nigeria.
Methods: The study was a cross sectional survey carried out in Enugu state, Nigeria. Amultistage sampling was done to recruit participants for the study and a 30-item self-administered questionnaire was used to elicit information from the respondents.
Results: A total of 464 out of the 500 respondents recruited completed the survey (92.8%) of which 437 (94.2%) and 425 (91.6%) of them had self-medicated with antibiotics and antimalarial drugs concurrently respectively. More than three-quarters of the study respondents reported self medicating with antibiotics and anti-malarial drugs concurrently 359 (77.4%).The most common symptom for which antibiotics were used for self-medication was nasal condition 337 (72.6%). The most common symptom for w hich anti-malarial drugs were used for self-medication was fever. The most used antibiotic for self-medication was tetracycline 331 (71.3%) and sulfadoxine pyrimethamine 314 (67.7%) for malaria.
Conclusion: Self-medication with antibiotics and anti-malarial drugs was high among the rural dwellers surveyed in this study. There is need for better regulation of prescription drugs in Nigeria.
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