Original scientific paper
Self-medication with antibiotics in family practice in patients and parents
Leonora Redžić
; Department for Infectious Diseases, Cantonal Hospital „Dr. Safet Mujić”, Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Amra Zalihić
; Department for Family Medicine, Health Centre Mostar, Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Abstract
Self-medication with antibiotics includes taking antibiotics without a prescription. Despite concerns, this practice is still seen worldwide. The aim of this study was to determine whether self-medication with antibiotics was possible in family practice patients and parents. A validated self-administered questionnaire was used to collect the data. The data were collected during April 2016. This cross-sectional survey was conducted in the Primary Care Centre, among patients and parents off the underage patients. Total 7% of parents and 25% of patients responded that they bought an antibiotic without a prescription. The most common reasons for buying medications without a prescription were that the antibiotic helped them the last time when they had similar symptoms. The parents had higher odds to take antibiotics without an prescription. Also women had higher odds to take antibiotics without a prescription. Respondents with lower educational status had lower risk for self-medication than the respondents with higher educational status. Respondents with lower family income were at lower risk for self-medication than the respondents with higher income.
Keywords
self-medication; antibiotics; self-medication with antibiotics; non-prescription antimicrobial use
Hrčak ID:
226988
URI
Publication date:
22.10.2019.
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