Self medication practices among workers in a tertiary hospital in Nigeria.

Abstract

Studies in most developing countries revealed (70-95% ) of illnesses are treated through self medication . Poor accessibility to medical services have been associated with this practice . This study determines the pattern of self medication among workers at t he University College Hospital, Ibadan , Nigeria . In a cross sectional study, workers were selected using a stratified random sampling technique . A high proportion of workers (73% ) reported the practice of self medication and 95.6 % of them correctly use appropriate drugs. About 80% of these workers stock their drugs at home . Also , 80.4 % procure their drugs in chemist shops. A higher proportion of workers directly involved with medical care services (90.9%) practice self medication compared to those involved with non-medical care services (62.9%), P<0.01 . Also , the higher the education of workers the more is the proportion that practice self medication.(P<0.05). Self medication is commonly practiced among the hospital population w h o have relatively easy access to medical care services. Thus self medication may be a real health option