Self-Medication Practice and Associated Factors Among Health Professionals at the University of Gondar Comprehensive Specialized Hospital: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Background

Self-medication is the use of medication to treat self-diagnosed disorders or symptoms. In the current time, there has been an increasing tendency in self-medication in pharmacies and retail outlets in our country Ethiopia and alarmingly high in healthcare professionals. In spite of the adverse impacts, there were scarcity of data on self-medication practice among health professionals in Ethiopia. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the practice of self-medication and its determinant factors among health professionals at the University of Gondar Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Northwest Ethiopia.

Methods

A Cross-sectional study design was employed using a simple random sampling technique to recruit the study participants. We used self-administered questionnaires to collect the data. Epi Info 7 and SPSS 20 were used for data entry and statistical analysis, respectively. Frequencies and mean with standard deviation were computed. Measure of association between self-medication and independent factors was determined using logistic regression. Variables with a p<0.05 were declared as determinant factors of self-medication practice.

Results

Four hundred and twelve health professionals were involved in the study with a mean age of 29.9 years (±5.43, range=20–60). In this study, self-medication practice was 54.6% (95% CI: 49.8–59.4). Health professionals who had worked less than 3 years after last graduation (AOR=1.67, 95% CI (1.02, 2.76)), those with 44–55 working hours per week (AOR=2.44, 95% CI: 1.07,5.57), and who knew over-the-counter classification of drugs (AOR=1.75, 95% CI: 1.03,2.99) had significantly higher self-medication practice.

Conclusion

Self-medication practice was remarkably high in the current study which is a major public health problem. The findings suggest a cooperative implementation of pharmaceutical regulations particularly focusing on those health professionals with high working hours per week.

Keywords:

• self-medication
• health professionals
• Gondar

Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to the study participants, the Academic Committee of the School Of Pharmacy, University of Gondar and the data collectors.

Abbreviations

AOR, adjusted odds ratio; COR, crude odds ratio; OTC over-the-counter; SD, standard deviation; SM, self-medication.

Data Sharing Statement

The dataset can be obtained from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

Ethical Approval and Consent to Participate

Ethical approval was gained from the ethical committee of the School of Pharmacy, University of Gondar with ethical review protocol number: SOP/559/2019. All participants were informed about the purpose of the study. Written informed consent was obtained from each participant to assure their willingness of participation and no identifiers were listed in the questionnaire to make it confidential.

Author Contributions

All authors made a significant contribution to the work reported, in the conception, study design, execution, acquisition of data, analysis and interpretation, and in all these areas; took part in drafting, revising or critically reviewing the article; gave final approval of the version to be published; have agreed on the journal to which the article has been submitted; and agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work.

Disclosure

The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.