Frequency of Self-Medication and Its Associated Factors among Outpatients

Objectives: To assess the frequency of self-medication and its associated factors among outpatients. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at the outpatient department of Fatima Hospital, Baqai Medical University, from May 2019 to September 2019. After checking eligibility, a total of 360 outpatients were included in the study using the convenience sampling technique. Being aged 18 years or above and belonging to either gender were the study's inclusion criteria, whereas refusal to give verbal informed consent was the exclusion criterion of the study. The data was collected by interviewing the study participants using a structured questionnaire. Statistical package for social sciences version 21 was used for data analysis, while inferential analysis was performed using univariate and multivariable binary logistic regression. Results: The study results showed that 118 (32.8%) of the participants were suffering from a chronic illness, 240 (66.7%) of them kept medicines at their houses, 235 (65.3%) of them self-medicated, whereas the mean duration of their self-medication was found to be 9.90 +/- 8.51 years. Moreover, age, educational status, employment status, and keeping medicines at the house were significantly associated with self-medication of the participants were those who were aged 50 years or above (AOR,7.83; 95% CI,2.27-27.04; p=0.001), able to read and write (AOR, 4.36; 95% CI, 1.58-11.98; p=0.004) and kept medicines at the house (AOR, 46.35; 95% CI, 20.07-107.06; p<0.001) had significantly higher odds of self-medication than those who were aged up to 30 years, were illiterate or did not keep medicines at house respectively whereas those who were employed/self-employed (AOR, 0.30; 95% CI, 0.10-0.88; p=0.028) had significantly lower odds of self-medication than those who were unemployed. Conclusion: Almost two-thirds of the participants were found to be self-medicating. Moreover, age, educational status, employment status, and keeping medicines at the house were significantly associated with the self-medication of the respondents.