Self-medication among university students in Hong Kong

Five hundred and sixty-three university students were interviewed to survey the practice of self-medication which was found to be very prevalent (94.0%). The most commonly used items included remedies for cough and cold, antipyretics and analgesics. Topical preparations and Chinese herbal medicines were also frequently consumed. Self-medication items were mostly obtained from home medicine cabinets and pharmacy shops (not necessarily staffed by registered pharmacists) and they also relied heavily on family members and previous illness experience for information on the medications they took. The healthcare professionals only played a minor role in the provision of drug information. Nevertheless, the concept of self-medication is well-established among these university students as they recognised that minor illness could be cared for without seeing a doctor. Healthcare professionals should assume more active roles in the provision of drug information and counselling so that a good self-care programme could be established.