Frequency of using non-prescribed medication in Majmaah city, Saudi Arabia -- A cross sectional study.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

To determine the frequency of using non-prescribed medication in a Saudi Arabian city.

METHODS:

The cross-sectional study was conducted in Majmaah city, Saudi Arabia, from January to May 2014, and comprised adults of either gender. For data collection, a questionnaire was designed and its reliability was checked by Cronbach Alpha. SPSS 20 was used for statistical analysis.

RESULTS:

Of the 390 respondents 276(70.8%) were males, while 114(29.2%) were females. The overall mean age was 29.90±11.56 years (range: 18-83 years). Of the total, 363(93.1%) were using non-prescribed medication; and 148(37.9%) said they were using the drugs as they had experienced similar symptoms before and they knew the treatment. Public pharmacies were the main source for obtaining non-prescribed medication for 163(41.8%) subjects. Gender and use of non-prescribed medication was significantly associated (p<0.05).

CONCLUSIONS:

The frequency of using non-prescribed medication in Majmaah city was high. Pain-killers, antibiotics and antipyretics were the most used non-prescribed medications. Male respondents used non-prescribed medication more than the females.

• Authors: Mansour Alzahrani, Turki Alhindi, Aqeel Almutairi, Mubarak Aldajani, Waqas Sami
• Journal: JPMA. The Journal of the Pakistan Medical Association (J Pak Med Assoc) Vol. 65 Issue 8 Pg. 825-8 (Aug 2015) ISSN: 0030-9982 [Print] Pakistan
• PMID: 26228324 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Analgesics
• Anti-Bacterial Agents
• Antipyretics

Topics

• Adolescent
• Adult
• Aged
• Aged, 80 and over
• Analgesics (therapeutic use)
• Anti-Bacterial Agents (therapeutic use)
• Antipyretics (therapeutic use)
• Cross-Sectional Studies
• Educational Status
• Female
• Humans
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Risk Factors
• Saudi Arabia
• Self Medication (statistics & numerical data)
• Sex Factors
• Surveys and Questionnaires
• Young Adult