SELF-MEDICATION IN SAUDI ARABIA - A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY

Background: Self-medication is a global phenomenon that is common in developing countries where people can buy prescription medicines without a physicians advice. Irresponsible self-medication may have an effect at the individual level as well as the community level. At the individual level, self-medication may cause potential health risks including wrong diagnosis, incorrect medication prescriptions, adverse events, failure to recognize pharmaceutical risks and contraindications, and prolonged use of drugs resulting in potential physical harm. At the community level, self-medication may promote drug-induced diseases, leading to wasteful public expenditure. Methodology: A substantial sample size of 2979 patients was collated from August 2016. The questionnaire was promulgated through electronic means to patients from all over Saudi Arabia. Informed consent was taken from all patients prior to the questions within the questionnaire. The privacy of the respondents was respected, and all data was analysed anonymously. Results: the majority of participants (74.4%) were young adults between the ages of 21 = 40. 81.4% of respondents had used a prescription drug without first obtaining a physicians advice. The drugs used without prescription were analgesics (84.1%), antipyretics (70.9%), antitussive syrups (46.9%). Conclusions: The frequency of self-medication in KSA is alarmingly high, where the most common type of drug used without a prescription is analgesics. There is a need for larger studies to evaluate the cause and outcome of self-medication in KSA, so that proper legislation and policies can be implemented to provide a better and safer healthcare system that is easy for every Saudi individual to access.