PREVALENCE OF SELF MEDICATION PRACTICES AMONG UNDERGRADUATE NURSING STUDENTS AT PRIVATE INSTITUTIONS IN KARACHI

Abstract

Background: Self-medication, the practice of taking medicine without the guidance of a healthcare professional has become a widespread phenomenon globally. Undergraduate nursing students are at particular risk due to their exposure to medications and their future role as healthcare providers. Purpose: To determine the frequency of self-medication practices among undergraduate nursing students at private institutions. Methodology: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on undergraduate nursing students at Jinnah College of Nursing (Sohail University) and Ilmiya Institute of Nursing Karachi from 15th Aug 2023 to 15th Nov 2023. The data were collected through an adopted questionnaire. IBM SPSS Statistics version 25 was used to analyze the gathered data. Frequency, Percentage, Pie chart, Clustered Column, and Clustered Bar chart were used to summarize the prevalence of self-medication practice scores of participants. Result: Self-medication is broadly practised (76.9%) by Jinnah College of Nursing and Ilmiya Institute of Nursing students. The reason for the increased occurrence of self-medication was to purchase medications from pharmacy shops directly as they are time-saving, and less expensive than doctor's fees. Painkillers analgesics were the most common 120 (61.5%), followed by Drugs for fever antipyretics 100 (51.3%), cough, cold, and sore throat 95 (48.7%). Conclusion: Self-medication use is common among undergraduate nursing students. It can have a significant impact on their health. Educational institutions need to promote awareness of the uncertainties concomitant with self-medication and encourage nursing students to adopt responsible health habits.