SELF-MEDICATION AMONG DENTAL UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS: A GROWING CONCERN

Background: Self-medication is an important component of self-care. Though it is widely practiced globally, very few studies have evaluated its pattern and prevalence in dental students.

Aim: The study was conducted to compare pattern of self-medication practices between junior and senior dental undergraduate students.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional, anonymous, descriptive study with a six month illness recall that evaluated two groups of dental students- Group I:  second year BDS students who were unexposed to pharmacology subject; Group 2: students pursuing internship (interns) having a sound knowledge of pharmacology. A questionnaire consisting of both open and close ended questions related to various aspects of self-medication was handed to the students. Consenting students anonymously filled the questionnaire. Comparison between the two groups was done by two- tailed Chi-square test. P values<0.05 were considered as statistically significant.

Results: A total of 167 students participated in the study.90% respondents in group 1 (second year) and 94% respondents in group 2 (interns) practiced self-medication.  Illnesses for which self-medication was practiced included fever (76% vs. 78%) and pain (46% vs.67%; p<0.05) followed by common cold and cough (37% vs. 47%). Lack of time (61% vs.72%) and simplicity of illness (63% vs. 72%) were two major factors resulting in self-medication. Parents (71% vs.54%), previous prescription records (21% vs.38%) and pharmacists (24% vs.15%) were the main guiding source of self-medication. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) were the most commonly used drug group followed by antihistamines (28% vs.38%) and antibiotics (12%vs. 27%).

Conclusion: Self-medication is widely practiced among dental students. Prevalence of self-medication was more in senior dental students than their juniors. However, practice of self-medication was inappropriate in both the groups. Therefore, there is a pressing need to create awareness about risks and adverse consequences of self-medication in order to ensure rational and safe use of drugs.