Experimental Biology 2021 Meeting Abstracts

Area of Science:

• Pharmacology
• Public Health
• Social Science

Background:

• Self-medication, defined by WHO, involves treating self-diagnosed conditions.
• High rates of self-medication are prevalent in South America.
• The SARS-CoV-2 outbreak exacerbated self-medication due to confinement-related anxiety.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess self-medication practices and risks in the Ecuadorian population during confinement.
• To determine the medication-severity-index using the Hazard-Risk-Assessment-Score (HRAS).

Main Methods:

• A quantitative, descriptive online survey was conducted using Google Forms.
• 380 Ecuadorian adults, excluding health professionals and those on long-term medication, participated.
• Data analysis involved R, with HRAS scores derived from clinically relevant questions.

Main Results:

• 55% of participants exhibited extreme self-medication risk (HRAS ≥ 25 points).
• 35% preferred drug recommendations from media (TV, social media, influencers) over health professionals (HRAS 20 points, moderate risk).
• 39% discontinued medication prematurely based on non-professional advice (HRAS 12 points, moderate risk).

Conclusions:

• Ecuador's population faces a high risk of self-medication, irrespective of educational attainment.
• Despite a general preference for prescriptions, significant drug-related problems persist.
• Reliance on non-professional sources for medication advice contributes to moderate to extreme self-medication risks.