Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of self-medication Among Undergraduate Medical Students in Jeddah city, Saudi Arabia

Background: Self-medication (SM) may be a common habit globally and also the unauthorized use of medication could be a reason for concern. Developing authorization, as a result of improved academic levels and larger access to data, combined with an extreme pursuit of personal health, is leading to a growing demand for direct involvement in health-care decisions. Most medications will have important unwanted side effects and this might result in clinical consequences with potential life threatening complications. The aim of this study is to estimate the prevalence of SM practice of undergraduate medical students listed at Saudi Arabian Medical schools. Method: A Descriptive/Analytic cross-sectional study was performed, using a survey on a sample of 352 male and female students randomly selected from 2 health programs in Medical schools in Jeddah city, Makkah region, Saudi Arabia in a period of 1 year. Results: The current study was administered among 352 Pharm. D and MBBS students, of whom a hundred and fifteen (32.7%) were males and 237 (67.3%) were females. We found that 231 (65.6%) students practiced SM, female participants outnumbering male participants. The prevalence of SM was wide-ranging amongst different years of scholars, the prevalence increasing from the initial to the final year. The knowledge of usage came from medical textbooks by sixty-one (26.4%) of students. Among the self-medicators, the bulk used Non-prescription over-the-counter medicine, 134 (58%). Conclusion: SM was quite common among undergraduate medical students, due to straightforward accessibility of medicines and data from text books. A number of the scholars showed inadequate information and inappropriate regard toward some points concerning self-medication. Practice of SM is alarming. Medication distribution should be coordinated by the Saudi health care professionals through instituting precautionary and interventional policies; so that correct use of medicines is accomplished.