Practices and determinants of self-medication among undergraduate medical students of Peshawar, Pakistan

Self-medication, which often includes over-the-counter (OTC) medications, is described as a global public health issue affecting a vast number of individuals. The rate of self-medication has risen considerably among medical students, as evidenced by various published studies. Self-medication was reported to be quite common (88.4%) when 389 medical students were polled about it. The frequency were found higher in female students (66.3%) as compared to male students (22.1%) with significant p-value (p=0.007). The most frequently used items were painkillers (77.57%), antipyretics (52.06%), cough and cold medications (48.71%), antitussives (40.20%) and antibiotics (30.92%). They primarily purchased self-medication supplies from pharmacies and extensively relied on family members and their own prior medical experiences for knowledge on the medications they used (p<0.05). However, among these medical students, the idea of self-medication is well-established because they realized that mild illnesses could be treated without visiting a doctor.  High levels of education and professional success have been said to be indicators of self-medication. The results suggest that in order to prevent the rising trend of self-medication, rigorous laws should be implemented that prohibit the distribution of pharmaceuticals without a valid prescription. The risks of self-medication should be made known to young people, especially females

CERVICAL CANCER: LOOKING INTO THE FUTURE (A KAP STUDY AMONG THE UNDERGRADUATE MEDICAL STUDENTS OF PESHAWAR- PAKISTAN)

<p><strong>Abstract</strong></p><p><strong>Introduction; </strong>This study assessed and compared knowledge of the disease, and prevention with treatment, attitude, and practices in relation to cervical cancer among undergraduate medical students of Peshawar. <strong>Methods; </strong>A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2018, after approval from the Institutional Review Board Committee. All the students of 4th and 5th year MBBS were included in the study. The medical colleges of Peshawar city were selected randomly from the Public and Private sectors. The sample size of 682 was calculated through the online calculator, data was collected through a well-structured validated questionnaire and analyzed through SPSS Version- 19. Descriptive statistics as frequency, percentage, mean & standard deviation were calculated whereas inferential statistics were done through a chi-square test keeping 0.05 as a significant p-value for association among the variables. <strong>Results; </strong>among the total population, a 100% response rate was seen. The mean age was 22.36 years + 3.850. They showed knowledge 91.90% regarding cervical cancer disease, HPV as the cause of disease with 77.12%, mode of transmission 57.33%, awareness of prevention (92.11%), screening tests (70.03%), age of screening (80.94%), pap test (79.51%), HPV vaccine 81.74%, and age for vaccination as 55.44%. Favorable attitudes of the students were noted as they affirmed that every woman should undergo screening (85.81%), 88.41% preferred a national screening program and 81.72% wished for more training on this subject. Unfavorable practices were as only 1.90% had done pap tests and only 11.1% actually visited the gynecologist. <strong>Conclusion; </strong>Knowledge and attitudes were found to be significant among the undergraduates however behaviors were deficient. </p&gt