Abstract

IMMENSITY OF SELF TREATMENT AND ITS IMPACT – A QUESTIONNAIRE BASED STUDY

Isa Hassan Abubakar and Aparna Datta*

Abstract

It is a fact that man today is far more health conscious and careful than they were a decade ago. However, this cannot be denied that they are more prone to adaptation of self-medication when it comes to minor ailments, with limited information sought from here and there. This can be detrimental at times and the common mass needs to be educated more on this aspect. It would be risk-free, if the people who are using it, have sufficient knowledge about its time of intake, dose, side effect on over dose in order to draw the maximum pharmacological benefit from the active ingredient failing which one may lead to serious effects such as skin problem, hypersensitivity and allergy, antibiotic resistance and the likes. This article focuses on probable reasons for selfmedication and means to handle and curb the growth of such practices in North Western part of Uttar Pradesh, India and Northern region of Nigeria.

Keywords: Self-medication, illiterate, side effects, medicine, over the counter, gender.