KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDE, AND PRACTICES TOWARD SELF-MEDICATION AMONG MEDICAL STUDENTS IN KAMPALA SCHOOL OF HEALTH SCIENCES, WAKISO DISTRICT; A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY.

Abstract

Background:

Specific objectives: To determine the knowledge, attitude, and practice towards self-medication among medical students in Kampala School of Health Sciences, Wakiso district.

Study design/method: 

A cross-sectional study was conducted among medical students in Kampala School of Health Sciences, Wakiso district. The questionnaire was used as a tool to collect data from 100 respondents.

Results: 

Self-medication was found to be practiced by 93% of the students. The most common condition of taking self-medication was headache 54.66% of the total participants. Analgesics were the most common drug group to be used as self-medication by a majority of 65.67% of the students.

Conclusion: 

There was an alarming rise in self-medication practices among medical students in the Kampala School of Health Sciences, Wakiso district. They should be given sufficient knowledge about the medicines they were taking, regarding their indications, contraindications, cross-reactions, allergies, and side effects.

Recommendations: 

Strengthening of rules and regulations by which pharmacies, and drug shops are guided and supposed to operate in regards to selling medicines. Furthermore, there is a need for continuous health education by health workers on self-medication and its complications. There is a need for further study to be conducted in other medical institutions with a larger sample size to substantiate the findings of this study for possible generalization.