Self-medication practice and health-seeking behavior among medical students during COVID 19 pandemic: a cross-sectional study

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Self-medication practice (SMP), is the one element of self-care, the use of medication without the prescription of medical professionals for the treatment of self-recognized illnesses. (E.g., resubmitting old prescriptions, sharing medication with relatives/family members, or using leftover medications) This study aims to determine the prevalence of self-medication practice and health-seeking behavior among medical students during the Covid 19 pandemic. Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study on self-medication practice. A total of 510 MBBS students at Government Medical College, Ratlam were enrolled in the study taking care of inclusion criteria. Data was collected on a pre-designed semi-structured questionnaire through Google forms and was analyzed using Epi info (CDC version 6). Result: Out of 510 MBBS students, 394 students responded to fill the form with an overall response rate of 77%. Self-medication practice in the preceding 6 months amongst MBBS students was 291 (73.85%). There is a significant association between self-medication practice with age, gender, and 1st, 2nd and 3rd year of MBBS. Health-seeking behavior among students was found to be 26.14%. Conclusion: Self-medication practice is widely prevalent amongst MBBS students, especially during the Covid pandemic. Approx. 74% of MBBS Students practiced self-medication in the preceding 6 months.