Table 3 Illustrates attitudes of study participants towards self medication
From: Prevalence of using non prescribed medications in economically deprived rural population of Pakistan
Variable | N = 595 | % |
|---|---|---|
Commonest drugs used to self medicate | ||
Paracetamol (Pain killers) | 553 | 93.0 |
Aspirin (Fever relieving medicine) | 410 | 69.0 |
Anti allergy | 303 | 51.0 |
Antibiotics | 309 | 52.0 |
Vitamins | 250 | 42.0 |
Pills for indigestion | 148 | 24.5 |
Sleeping pills | 173 | 29.0 |
Herbal/homeopathic | 107 | 18.0 |
Tonics | 54 | 9.0 |
Street drugs | 35 | 5.8 |
Birth control pills | 30 | 5.0 |
Reading Medication Instructions | ||
Side Effects | 54 | 9.0 |
Contraindications | 54 | 9.0 |
Doses | 60 | 10.0 |
All | 42 | 7.0 |
Indication | 54 | 9.0 |
Never read medical instructions | 535 | 90.0 |
Dosage of Medication | ||
Pharmacist | 208 | 35.0 |
Previous doses | 131 | 22.0 |
According to pain | 65 | 11.0 |
According to drug instruction | 48 | 8.0 |
Severity | 65 | 11.0 |
Randomly | 89 | 15.0 |