Table 2.
Self-medication indications and practice
| Item | Classification | Modern medicines (N=101) |
Traditional medicine (N=59) |
| Source of advice before deciding to use self-medication | Myself | 54 (53.4%) | 14 (23.7%) |
| Health care provider | 32 (31.7%) | 0 (0%) | |
| Friend/relative | 17 (16.8) | 36 (61.0%) | |
| Internet/media | 5 (5.0%) | 5 (8.5%) | |
| Traditional healer | 1 (1.0%) | 11 (18.6%) | |
| Other | 2 (1.9%) | - | |
| Symptom for which self-medication is given | Fever | 78 (77.2%) | 3 (5.1%) |
| Cough and runny nose | 44 (43.6%) | 16 (27.1%) | |
| Intestinal worms | 15 (14.8%) | 20 (33.8%) | |
| Pain | 6 (5.9%) | 1 (1.7%) | |
| Difficult breathing | 5 (5.0%) | 2 (3.4%) | |
| Diarrhea/vomiting | 5 (5.0%) | 13 (22.0%) | |
| Skin conditions | 3 (3.0%) | 5 (8.5%) | |
| Others | 15 (14.8%) | 17 (28.8%) | |
| Source of medications | Pharmacy | 94 (93.1%) | - |
| Leftover medicine | 15 (14.9%) | - | |
| Health care facility w/o prescription |
5 (5.0%) | - | |
| Shop/store | 1 (1.0%) | - | |
| Relative/friend | 0 (0%) | 5 (8.5%) | |
| Traditional healer | - | 22 (37.3%) | |
| Self-collected herbs /plants | - | 36 (94.7%) | |
| Others | - | 2 (5.2%) | |
| Type of Health care facility consulted in case of self-medication failure |
Private | 47 (46.5%) | 9 (15.3%) |
| Public | 38 (37.6%) | 23 (39.0%) | |
| Traditional healer | 5 (5.0%) | 5 (8.5%) | |
| None | 24 (23.7%) | 26 (44.1%) | |
| Drugs used in self-medication with modern medications (n=101) |
Paracetamol | 73 (72.3%) | - |
| Cough Syrup | 40 (39.6%) | - | |
| Ibuprofen | 29 (28.7%) | - | |
| Antibiotics | 18 (17.8%) | - | |
| Drugs for intestinal worms | 17 (16.8%) | - | |
| Skin preparation | 4 (4%) | - | |
| Oral Rehydration Solution (ORS) | 3 (3%) | - | |
| Others | 15 (14.8%) | - | |
Respondents could choose more than two options.