Abstract

Background: The use of drugs to relieve self-recognized symptoms is known as self-medication. It is common among students at health-related colleges. This procedure may have advantages, but it also has drawbacks that lead to life-threatening situations. This study aims to find out how many students in Shaqra University’s Dawadmi colleges know about self-medication, how common it is, and how often they use it.
Methods: A self admitted questionnaire was used to conduct a cross-sectional survey among health specialty students at Dawadmi Colleges, Shaqra University, Shaqra, Saudi Arabia. Descriptive analysis and Chi-square test were used to analyze the data.
Results: A higher percentage of students (53.2%) believed that not all over counter (OTC) medications are safe, while a lower percentage of students in health specialties (20.9%) believe they are unaware of OTC medicine safety. Surprisingly, the pharmacy sector had the most significant percentage of self-medicating participants (82%). Headache (84%) and cough, cold, and sore throat were the most common for ailments students self-medicate (66.9%). Analgesics were the most commonly self-medicated medications, according to 69.8% of respondents.
Conclusion: Self-medication using over-the-counter drugs was shown to be the most popular. The availability of neighborhood pharmacies and over-the-counter drugs contributes to the high prevalence of self-medication among university students. The pharmacy section had the highest number of participants who used self-medication. Headache is the most debilitating and complex health issue to deal with. Self-medication, education, and effective awareness programs may help manage the problem.

Key words: Self-medication, health specialties’ students, negative effects of self-medication, positive effects of self-medication