Self-medication Practice of Antibiotics among Medical and Dental Undergraduate Students in a Medical College in Eastern Nepal: A Descriptive Cross-sectional Study

Abstract

Introduction: Self-medication plays significant role in the development of adverse drug reactions,
antibiotic resistance, and masking of underlying diseases. Medical students have some knowledge
about the use of antibiotics and have a higher chance of irrational and injudicious use. This study
aims to find the prevalence of self-medication practice of antibiotics among medical and dental
undergraduate students.

Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was done among medical and dental undergraduate
students from the first year to the fifth year at BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences from 1st June
2018 to 30th August 2018. Ethical approval was obtained from the Institutional Review Committee
(IRC/1210/018). Whole sampling was done. Data was collected using a self-responding, semistructured questionnaire and analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 11.5.

Results: In total 558 students, the prevalence of self-medication practice of different antibiotics
was 285 (51.1%) within the past year. Among self-medicated students, 152 (53.3%) were males. The
common drug self-medicated was Azithromycin 80 (28.1%) and the common medical condition to
use non-prescription antibiotics was for treatment of sore throat with runny nose 129 (45.3%). The
main source for obtaining non-prescription antibiotics were retail pharmacies 157 (55.1%).

Conclusions: Self-medication with antibiotics was at increasing rate with each succeeding years
of the medical courses. Medical students should be made aware of the rational use of antibiotics
by incorporating appropriate courses in their academic curriculum for more refined practice on
antibiotics rather than advancement of theoretical knowledge alone.