Self-medication
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Self-medication

Post by on Friday, September 24, 2021

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Self-medication is the use of nonprescription medications by people of their own initiative without medical supervision. Paracelsus, the alchemist-physician quoted"all drug's are poisons"and as people vary greatly in their sensitivity to drugs,an appropriate dose for one person can be overdose for other.
It has been estimated that between 70% to 90% of all illness episodes are handled by some form of self treatment and are not brought to the attention of a health professional.Altering the way in which medically prescribed drugs are used may be interpreted as a form of self care.
This type of behaviour may involve getting the prescription filled but not taking the medication,changing the prescribed dosage level or length of use,sharing prescribed medications with other household members or simply saving unused drugs for long periods of time and taking them for subsequent self diagnosed illness episodes.Among drugs,self medication with antibiotics has been widely reported causing antibiotic resistance.
Thus to avoid or minimize the dangers of self medication, firstly lay persons should be educated about dangers of self medication, secondly physicians should be more judicious in prescribing and lastly a proper statutory"drug control"must be implemented rationally restricting the availability of drugs to the public.