Assessment of Pharmacy Students’ Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices on Self Medication

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the knowledge, attitudes and practices of Süleyman Demirel University Faculty of Pharmacy students about self-medication in Turkey. Methods: This cross-sectional online survey study was conducted to investigate the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of Süleyman Demirel University Faculty of Pharmacy students regarding selfmedication between 22 September and 22 October 2022. Results: The questionnaires were answered by 336 students (76%). Most of the students (79.2%) correctly defined self-medication and 9.5% of students declared that self-medication was a part of self-care. Only 4.2% of students reported that they recommended self-medication to others. Female students had better knowledge and more negative attitudes about self-medication than male students (p<0.05). Approximately 79% of the students stated that they used self-medication in the last 6 months. About half of the participants (54.4%) stated that they had taken painkillers without a prescription in the last 6 months. The students declared that they had used drugs without a prescription for headache (36.3%), common cold (14.8%) and menstrual problems (10.4%) in the last 6 months, respectively. Conclusion: Most of the students had good knowledge about self-medication, but the majority of them had negative attitudes. The study also showed that self-medication was common among these students. Pharmacists make an important contribution to the public health system. Pharmacy students should continue to be educated about responsible self-medication as future pharmacists

Public Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices Regarding Antibiotic Use and Resistance in Türkiye: A Cross-Sectional Survey

Introduction: Antimicrobial resistance is common due to inappropriate and overuse of antimicrobial agents. This study aimed to evaluate the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of the public about antibiotic use and resistance in Türkiye. Materials and Methods: In this study, a cross-sectional study design was used for a population-based survey. An online survey was conducted from June to September 2021. Results: 937 people (87.5%) responded to the questionnaire. About half of the respondents answered correctly that amoxicillin was an antibiotic and ibuprofen was not an antibiotic. 31.8% of the respondents considered that antibiotics were effective against viruses. Most of the respondents (88.2%) disagreed with the idea that they would not be happy if the physician did not prescribe antibiotics. 63.7% of the respondents declared that they never stopped using antibiotics when they believed they were cured. Conclusion: The study shows that the participants have a good attitude towards antibiotic use and resistance despite the lack of knowledge and practices