Self medication or self care: implication for primary health care strategies

To determine the frequency of self-medication, a cross-sectional study was conducted in a Karachi district by selecting households through systematic random sampling. Health seeking behaviour for childhood illnesses and assessment of the magnitude and reasons for self-medication were done by interviewing mothers/caretakers. Five hundred households were visited, of which 158 fulfilled the criteria of having one sick child in the previous month. Medication without prescription was given to 51.3% children, mostly consisting of unidentified drugs or analgesics/antipyretics. Good past experience (61.3%) with the medicine was the main reason for self-medication. The use of medicines by health professionals was the main reason influencing parents for self-medication to their children. Self-medication is difficult to eliminate, but interventions can be made to discourage use of inappropriate and harmful drugs.