Self-Medication and Its Determinants in Health Professions Students at University of Magallanes, Chile

Abstract

Introduction: Self-medication is understood as the consumption of medications without the advice of a doctor or other professional legally authorized to prescribe them. Although this practice can benefit the patient, irresponsibly performing this practice can involve significant risks. Objectives: To describe the behavior of students of health professions of the University of Magallanes in relation to the use of medications, and the determinants that promote self-medication and the influence of the training process on decision making. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was developed, in which 303 students participated voluntarily and anonymously through a self-administered survey. The instrument for data collection was validated through a pilot test and expert review. Results: The prevalence of self-medication was 96.7%, while with low frequency (less than once a month) in 58.4% of cases. Lack of time to go to the doctor (42.3%) is the most cited reason to justify this behavior and the main sign or symptom mentioned as a trigger corresponds to headaches (81.6%). Although 90.1% of those surveyed consider self-medication a risky practice, 35.5% consider they have sufficient knowledge for responsible consumption. Conclusions: There is high prevalence of self-medication in the university population, so it is necessary to identify opportunities in the training process that allow optimizing the rational use of medications in themselves and in the population benefiting from their services.