Profile of the self-medication of undergraduate students in the health area from higher education institution in Sinop-MT

Abstract

The present study had the objective of evaluating the self-medication in graduates of the health area. The cross-sectional study consisted of 244 health professionals, of which 110 (45%) were Pharmacy, 71 (29%) Nursing and 63 (25%) Medicine, aged between 17 and 51 years. Of these, 183 (75%) were women, 214 (87%) were unmarried and 161 (66%) had no private health insurance. Regarding the use of drugs, 97% declared self-medication, with 78% claiming to be a simple health problem. The use of analgesics and antipyretics was reported in 84% of the interviewees, followed by autoregressive anti-inflammatory drugs (58%). Headache was the main cause of the use of nonprescription medication (84%). Among the interviewees, 70% were influenced by family members, neighbors and friends practicing self-medication. However, 63% reported receiving counseling at the time of purchase. Of the professional guidelines, 71% were by a pharmacist, being the dosage (dose and schedule) the main orientation received. Of the 183 women, 58% used contraception, and only 21% did not receive medical advice. Self-medication among college students at Sinop - MT is high, but they are similar to those reported in other studies. However, there was an expectation of a lower consumption because it was health students.

Keywords

• self-medication
• academics
• non-prescription medicines
• health
• self care