ABSTRACT
Background: Health professions have been a predictive factor for self-medication (SM). SM practices of medical students, the future practitioners will have a bearing on their impending professional practice. The aims were to identify prevalence and practice of SM among the medical students of Gulf Medical University (GMU), United Arab Emirates and to assess the associating factors. Methods: The study was planned as a cross-sectional descriptive survey among 247 medical students of GMU. Students from 1st to 5th year were included in the study. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 19. Associations were tested with Chi-square test. Results: SM with both over-the-counter medications and prescription-only medicines was practiced by 65% of students. The prevalence of SM was associated with the year of study and age. The most common sources of drugs were private pharmacies and stocks at home. The students mostly relied on themselves and parents for drug selection. The self-reliance significantly increased with year of study. Common indications for SM were headache and flu symptoms and correspondingly, analgesics and antipyretics were frequently used. A high prevalence of misuse of antibiotics was also reported. SM was 2.9 times higher (95% CI=1.502-5.620) among students belonging to families practicing SM. Conclusion: The study revealed a fairly high rate of prevalence of SM among the medical students of GMU, which was associated with age and year of study. There is a need to emphasize responsible SM practices among the medical students by accentuating rational drug use in the curricula.
ABSTRACT
Background: The past decades have seen a rapid expansion in the number of private medical schools in Asia. Objectives: To summarize the evidence currently available on the nature of this trend of privatization, the driving forces behind it, the benefits and downsides of it and guidelines for initiating need-based reforms. Methods: Relevant literature published in the last decade was searched using different databases. Reference lists of articles identified through the primary search were also hand searched. Results: Extracted articles identified economical, social and geopolitical factors responsible for this trend in Asia. Privatization is helpful in enhancing access of health care to all sections of society, creating more job opportunities and obviating the bureaucracy involved in government organizations. Arguably, challenges in terms of professional competence of medical students, physical infrastructure, and availability of qualified faculty and patients are to be carefully handled in these institutions. Additionally, the financial strain on students, lack of racial and socio-economic diversity of students and regional inequality in location of schools in favour of urban areas to rural areas are the problems that are to be dealt with. Guidelines to be followed to initiate need-based reforms can be: imposition of accreditation processes, reforms in curriculum, appropriate student selection criteria, facultydevelopment programmes, standardization of fee structure and use of regulations on the number and location of medical schools in richer and urban areas. Conclusion: Privatization is a powerful tool which should be used cautiously to contribute to the betterment of health of the nation.