Table 4.
Self-medication information.
| Self-Medication Information (N = 450) | Sample (N) | Percentage (%) |
|---|---|---|
| Did you practice self-medication during the last month? | ||
| Yes | 248 | 55.1 |
| No | 202 | 44.9 |
| Frequency of practice? | ||
| No SM | 87 | 19.3 |
| Rarely (Once a month) | 290 | 64.5 |
| Frequently (Once every two week) | 54 | 12 |
| Very frequently (Once a week) | 19 | 4.2 |
| Source of Information | ||
| Pharmacist | 124 | 27.6 |
| Physician | 106 | 23.6 |
| Medical professionals | 43 | 9.5 |
| Family and Friends | 61 | 13.6 |
| Internet | 116 | 25.7 |
| Nature of the medication used | ||
| Prescription only medicines (POMs) | 82 | 18.2 |
| Non-prescription (OTC) drugs | 216 | 48 |
| Both | 152 | 33.8 |
| Place of obtaining medications for self use | ||
| Pharmacy store | 306 | 68 |
| Friends | 5 | 1.1 |
| Available in house | 139 | 30.9 |
| Symptoms experienced | ||
| Headache, fever and pain, dysmenorrhea | 64 | 14.2 |
| Cold and Flu Allergy | 16 | 3.6 |
| Gastric symptoms (Diarrhea/constipation/ indigestion) | 11 | 2.4 |
| Throat, RTI and skin infection | 9 | 2 |
| None | 57 | 12.7 |
| More the one | 293 | 65.1 |
| Types of medications used for SM | ||
| Analgesics/Antipyretics (Paracetamol/NSAIDs) | 102 | 22.7 |
| Antibiotics (Amoxicillin, Cefexime) | 6 | 1.3 |
| Cough and Flu (Psuedoephedrine) | 10 | 2.3 |
| Anti-diarrheal/Laxatives (Lactulose) | 2 | 0.4 |
| Anti-histamines (Loratadine, Citirizine) | 5 | 1.1 |
| Multivitamins | 13 | 2.9 |
| CNS stimulants (Amphetamines, Methylphenidate) | 1 | 0.2 |
| I do not remember | 53 | 11.8 |
| More than one medication used | 258 | 57.3 |