Journal of Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences

Background and Objectives: Self-medication as one of the major health-social issues can cause many problems for the individual and society. Considering the increasing prevalence of drug abuse in the community, especially among young people, the present study aimed to determine the frequency of self- medication in medical students studying at Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences in 2016.
Materials and Methods: In this descriptive study, 251 medical students studying at Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences in different levels of education were enrolled to the study. Data were collected using a valid and reliable questionnaire and analyzed by descriptive statistics and Chi-square test at a significant level of p<0.05.
Findings: In this study, 193 students (76.9%) and also 137 girls (84%) and 158 single students (80.2%) had self-medication in the last three months that the difference was statistically significant (p<0.001 and p=0.029, respectively). The most commonly used form of drug was tablet (90.7%), the most used drug was palliative (67.4%) and the most common disease was headache (58.5%). Among the students who had self-medication, 178 students (92.2%) reported the previous experience of drug use, 147 students (75.6%) the unimportant nature of the disease, and 116 cases (60.1%)  the self-diagnosis as the causes of self-medication.
Conclusion: The findings show that the prevalence of self-medication in Rafsanjan medical students is high. Regarding the complications of this phenomenon, it is suggested that more attention be paid to continuous education of students in order to promote behavior related to drug use and reduce the complications associated with it.
Key words: Self-medication, Drug abuse, Medical student, Medicine
 
Funding: This research was funded by Reseach Council of Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences.
Conflict of interest: M. Rezaeian is the Editor in chief of JRUMS.
Ethical approval: The Ethics Committee of Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences approved the study.
 
How to cite this article: Najafipour R, Shishehbor F, Ahmadinia H, Rezaeian M. The Frequency of Self-Medication in Medical Students of Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences in 2016. Univ Med Sci 2018; 17 (4): 331-44. [Farsi]