Self-Medication Practice and Risk Factors for Self-Medication among university students in Beni Mellal

Background: Self-medication is defined as taking medications without the physician’sprescription. It is a worldwide public health problem, especially in countries with limitedresources. Although self-medication can reduce waiting time and save money, it may carrysome potential risks: antibiotic resistance or inappropriate management with subsequentcomplication. A limited number of self-medication studies have been conducted in Morocco.Objectives: To estimate the prevalence of self-medication practices among university studentsin Beni Mellal and to identify the factors associated with self-medication.Methods: An institution-based cross-sectional study was employed from March 1st 2017 toApril 13th 2017. 476 university students were interviewed using a questionnaire includingsociodemographic scale and self-medication knowledge and behavior. Data was analyzed usingdescriptive and analytic statistical methods.Results: Frequency of self-medication among the study sample has reached 62%. 26,07% ofthe participants reported that the first reason behind using self-medication was lack of money.Meanwhile, the most prevalent conditions that make them use these medications by themselveswere cough and common cold (32.51%) and headache (38,7%). The most frequent selfadministered drugs were analgesics (38.7%) followed by cough suppressants (32,51 %). Most(95.4%) of the drugs were purchased from community pharmacies as a source of drugs for selfmedication.Conclusion: Our study shows that self-medication is widely practiced among Universitystudents of Sultan Moulay Slimane University. In this situation, faculties should createawareness and educate their students regarding advantages and disadvantages of selfmedication