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. 2022 Jan 21;19(3):1193.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph19031193.

Self-Medication Perceptions and Practice of Medical and Pharmacy Students in Serbia

Ana Tomas Petrović  1 , Nebojša Pavlović  2 , Nebojša Stilinović  1 , Nikola Lalović  3 , Milica Paut Kusturica  1 , Tihomir Dugandžija  4 , Dragana Zaklan  2 , Olga Horvat  1
Affiliations

Self-Medication Perceptions and Practice of Medical and Pharmacy Students in Serbia

Ana Tomas Petrović et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. .

Abstract

Background: Attitudes towards conventional and complementary medicine among future healthcare professionals can impact their future pharmacotherapy practice. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and predisposing factors related to self-medication among medical and pharmacy students.

Methods: This cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was performed at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Novi Sad, Serbia, on first- and final-year students of medicine and pharmacy. The multivariate Poisson regression model with robust variance was used to identify the main predictors of self-medication.

Results: The overall self-medication prevalence in the past year was 81.3%. Independent risk factors for self-medication identified in the regression analysis were the final study year, housing condition, i.e., living in a leased apartment or in a student dormitory in comparison to living with parents, and cigarette consumption. The conventional drugs were the most frequently used, mostly for the symptoms of cold and pain. Final-year students had more confidence in conventional medicines than in herbal drugs and were more aware of the risks of their concomitant use.

Conclusion: Self-medication is highly prevalent among students of medical sciences, especially among final-year students. Increased medical knowledge led to the higher awareness of the drug interaction risks.

Keywords: Serbia; herbal drugs; medical knowledge; pharmacy; self-medication; students.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Self-medication prevalence among first- and last-year medicine and pharmacy students.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Identified indications (a) and types of drugs (b) used for self-medication.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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