Why self-medication is not good you should consult the doctor?

Inaccurate dosage Taking self-prescribed medicines can cause an accidental overdose, which can prove to be fatal. Also if the medication is taken in small amounts, you might not benefit from the same in an effective manner and worsen your already poor health condition.

Is self-medication a safe practice Why or why not?

Potential risks of self-medication practices include: incorrect self-diagnosis, delays in seeking medical advice when needed, infrequent but severe adverse reactions, dangerous drug interactions, incorrect manner of administration, incorrect dosage, incorrect choice of therapy, masking of a severe disease and risk of …

Why is self-medication important in the use of medication?

Self medication also has advantages for healthcare systems as it facilitates better use of clinical skills, increases access to medication and may contribute to reducing prescribed drug costs associated with publicly funded health programmes.

What are the disadvantages of self-medication?

The risks of self-medication include:

• Incorrect self-diagnosis.
• Delays in seeking appropriate medical advice and proper treatment.
• Potential adverse reactions.
• Worsening of the condition the individual is trying to self-treat.
• Dangerous drug interaction.
• Masking of severe diseases.
• Risk of dependence and abuse.

How does self-medication affect human health?

Self-med- ication can lead to serious consequences such as delay in diagnosis of illness, drug resistance, development of co-morbidities and, in some cases, death (4,5). The number of people reported to self-medicate varies greatly depending on the country in which a study has been conducted and the study design.

What is self-medication practice?

Self-medication is the use of drugs to treat self-diagnosed disorders or symptoms or the intermittent or continued use of prescribed drug for chronic or recurrent disease or symptoms, and it is mostly common in developing countries.

Why is it important to encourage and support self administration of medication?

Self-administration of medication takes place when a patient has responsibility for managing their medication, and is encouraged and supported to play an active role in taking their medication. This has been shown to improve treatment adherence and is important for rehabilitation.

What are the problems of self-medication?

Self-medication can lead to drug addiction, allergy, habituation, worsening of ailment, incorrect diagnosis and dosage, or even disability and pre-mature death. This is the reason why people must avoid self-medication at all cost.

What are the disadvantages of medication?

The risks of medicines are the possible unwanted or unexpected effects that might happen to you when you use them. Risks can be minor, like a mild upset stomach, or more serious, such as an increased risk of bleeding or liver damage.

What is self-medication harmful?

People do self-medication because it is instant, and of course, there is no expense of the doctor. But when eventually, they suffer from severe health issues, their medical expense increases two-fold. Self-medication as a habit can damage one’s health irrevocably, causing disabilities and even premature death.

What is self-medication and how does it work?

Now-a-days, self-medication should be seen as the “desire and ability of people/patients to play an intelligent, independent and informed role, not merely in terms of decision-making but also in the management of those preventive, diagnostic and therapeutic activities which concern them.”[3,4,5]

Are there any peer reviewed articles on self-medication?

Articles which were published in peer reviewed journals, World Self-Medication Industry (WSMI) and World Health Organization (WHO) websites relating to self-medication reviewed. Trend of “Rx-to-Over-the-Counter Switch” The transfer of prescription (“Rx”) medicines to non-prescription or OTC status is known as the “Rx-to-OTC switch”.

Although responsible self-medication help to reduce the cost of treatment, travelling time as well as doctor’s time i.e., consultation time.[1,6] Major problems related to self-medication are wastage of resources, increased resistance of pathogens and causes serious health hazards such as adverse reaction and prolonged suffering.

What are the factors that influence self-medication?

Self-medication is influenced by many factors such as education, family, society, law, availability of drugs and exposure to advertisements.[1,22,23] Table 1 shows list of drugs used for self-medication.[24,25]