Publication:

Self-medication practices of over the counter analgesics among first and third semester undergraduate medical students in a tertiary care medical college, Jharkhand

Background Self-medication is a widely practiced trend in the general Indian population. Among the medical students, self- medication is popular because of awareness about the disease and their treatment. Analgesics are one of the most common drugs used for self-medication. Very few studies are available in Jharkhand regarding this subject. So, the present study aims to delve into the pattern of self-medication practices of analgesics among the 1st and 3rd semester medical students of RIMS, Ranchi, Jharkhand.

Methods A questionnaire based cross sectional study was done in RIMS, Ranchi, Jharkhand, India in March-April 2019 among the undergraduate medical students. The results were expressed as percentage and frequency.

Results Out of total 150 and 142 students in the 1st and 3rd semester respectively, 140 and 130 students practiced self- medication.  Advice from seniors was the biggest source of information in both the groups followed by internet and books. Paracetamol was the most common drug (75%; 60%) and headache was the most common indication (55%; 68%). Quick relief of symptoms was the most common reason for self-medication in both the groups (44%; 48%).

Conclusions In both the groups, the students continued the drug even after experiencing side effects (77%; 60%). Most students were of the view that such practice is not acceptable at all times (75%; 72%).