SELF-MEDICATION IN MEDICAL STUDENTS DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Introduction: Self-medication is one of the most common health maintenance practices in the world, and has been observed more frequently after the emergence of the Covid-19 pandemic. In this context, responsible self-medication is very important to ensure public health and to alleviate health systems. Medical students are referents in society in terms of medication knowledge and therefore are promoters of medication use behaviors.Objective: evaluate self-medication practices among medical students in the context of non-specific symptoms associated or not with SARS-COV-2 infection at a university in Barranquilla, Colombia. Methods: Cross-sectional study conducted in a population of 2285 medical students. A sample of 350 randomly selected students was taken, and a self-administered survey was applied to inquire about aspects related to self-medication practices.Results: The prevalence of self-medication was 100%, and non-responsible self-medication practices were identified in 70.1% of the participants. The academic level of clinical sciences was associated with a high level of knowledge of medication (OR: 1.91; 95%CI: 1.1-3.6); however, these variables did not show an association with responsible self-medication practices. Additionally, 48% indicated that they would be willing to self-medicate without seeking medical assistance in case of symptoms probably related to COVID-19. Conclusions: A high frequency of non-responsible self-medication was found. Further studies are needed to facilitate effective interventions.