Journal article 871 views 157 downloads
Self-medication of antibiotics: investigating practice among university students at the Malaysian National Defence University
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Nor Azlina A Rahman ,
Judy McKimm,
Golam Mohammad Kibria ,
Md Anwarul Azim Majumder ,
Seraj Zohurul Haque,
Md Zakirul Islam ,
Shahidah Leong Binti Abdullah,
Aqil Mohammad Daher ,
Zainal Zulkifli,
Sayeeda Rahman,
Russell Kabir,
Siti Nur Najihah Binti Lutfi ,
Nur Syamirah Aishah Binti Othman
Infection and Drug Resistance, Volume: Volume 12, Pages: 1333 - 1351
Swansea University Author: Judy McKimm
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DOI (Published version): 10.2147/idr.s203364
Abstract
Background: Self-medication of drugs to alleviate symptoms is a common global behavior, helping relieve burdens on health services, but many drugs eg, antibiotics are prescription-only. Self-medication of antibiotics (SMA) is an irrational use of drugs, contributing to microbial resistance increasin...
| Published in: | Infection and Drug Resistance |
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| ISSN: | 1178-6973 |
| Published: |
Informa UK Limited
2019
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| Online Access: |
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| URI: | https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa50466 |
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| Abstract: |
Background: Self-medication of drugs to alleviate symptoms is a common global behavior, helping relieve burdens on health services, but many drugs eg, antibiotics are prescription-only. Self-medication of antibiotics (SMA) is an irrational use of drugs, contributing to microbial resistance increasing health care costs and higher mortality and morbidity. This study aimed to assess SMA among university students.Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted among medical and non-medical students of the National Defence University of Malaysia. A validated instrument was used to gather data. Ethics approval was obtained. Random and universal sampling was adopted, and SPSS 21 was used for data analysis.Results: A total of 649 students participated in the study: 48.5% male and 51.5% female, 39.3% reported self-medicating with antibiotics. Penicillin, doxycycline, clarithromycin were the antibiotics most used with the majority reporting no adverse drug reactions. Cost savings and convenience were the principal reasons for SMA which were mainly obtained from local retail pharmacies. Despite medical students (particularly the more senior) having better knowledge of antibiotic use than non-medical students, 89% of all research participants responded that practicing SMA was a good/acceptable practice.Conclusion: SMA is common amongst Malaysian students and, despite understanding why SMA is unwise, even medical students self-medicate. |
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| Item Description: |
Corrigendum available at https://doi.org/10.2147/IDR.S218283 |
| Keywords: |
antibiotics, self-medication, antibiotic resistance, university students, medical students, non-medical students |
| College: |
Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences |
| Start Page: |
1333 |
| End Page: |
1351 |