Prevalence and correlate of self-medication with antibiotics among pharmacy undergraduates in a Nigerian University

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Date
2017
Authors
Yakubu, S.I
Ikunaiye, N.Y
Aderemi-Williams, R.I.
Tijjani, A.B
Yakubu, A.H
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICAL AND MEDICAL RESEARCH
Abstract
Self-medication with antibiotics (SMA) is a well-recognized form of drug misuse which needs concerted action. Awareness of this problem among pharmacy undergraduates is extremely vital. Objective: This study was to assess the prevalence of SMA and factors influencing the practice among pharmacy undergraduates of the University of Maiduguri, Nigeria. Method: A cross-sectional, pre-tested questionnaire-based survey using stratified, random sampling technique to collect the relevant information pertaining to the study variables. Results: A total of 185 students participated (response rate of 100%). Out of these, 79 students (42.7%) were females, 106 (57.3%) males and their mean age was 23 years. Non-married students were in majority. Among them, 92.% had SMA, more than one SMA episode (60.1%) and had recommended antibiotics (69.9%) in the last one year. The most common conditions that prompted SMA were catarrh/cough (20.5%) and diarrhoea (19.6%), while the most self-medicated antibiotics among the students was metronidazole (17.3%), followed by amoxicillin and ciprofloxacin (15.0%). Most students (41.5%) had incomplete course of treatment and the outstanding reason cited for SMA was past successful treatment (81.9%). Conclusion: The prevalence of SMA was found to be high, but there was no significant variation (p > 0.05) in SMA based on gender, age, marital status, perception on antibiotic resistance, prior knowledge of antibiotics and level of knowledge on antibiotics. Furthermore, our findings revealed a significant association between high students' university level and the prevalence of SMA.
Description
Scholarly article
Keywords
self-medication , antibiotics , pharmacy , students , prevalence , Research Subject Categories::PHARMACY
Citation
Yakubu SI, Ikunaiye NY, Aderemi-Williams RI, Tijani AB, and Yakubu AB (2017). Prevalence and correlate of self-medication with antibiotics among pharmacy undergraduates in a Nigerian University. European Journal of Pharmaceutical and Medical Research. 4(6): 93-105.