SELF-MEDICATION PRACTICES AMONG DENTAL STUDENTS IN A PRIVATE DENTAL COLLEGE IN NORTH INDIA

Background: Self-medication is of particular concern as the trend is increasing now-a-days, especially during the post COVID-19 pandemic. Without adequate knowledge, self-medication may lead to adverse drug reactions, or in extreme cases, may require hospitalization for further management. Methods: A questionnaire-based cross-sectional study was undertaken involving the dental undergraduate students in a private dental college in Haryana after it was validated. 150 dental students filled the questionnaire within the age group of 17-25 years. Results: In the present study, the data has been obtained from self-medication questionnaire. Out of 150 students, the females were 106 (71%) and the males were 44 (29%). Our study showed that 91% of the students practice self-medication. Females practiced more self-medication (96.23%) than male students (79.54%). The most common reason for self-medication were previous visit to the doctor, medicines present at home of the previous visit, to save time, to avoid visit to the OPD/doctor and to save expenses. The sources of drug information which the students preferred were from the pharmacy (37.3%). Paracetamol (90%) and cetirizine (57.33%) were the most common drugs used for self-medication. Conclusion: The study shows that self-medication is a common practice among dental students as they have an easy access to the knowledge regarding the diseases and drugs. This is of a growing concern and there is an urgent need to educate the students regarding the rational use of drugs, misuse of antibiotics, emergence of resistance and responsible self-medication to prevent health related adverse consequences.