STAFF REPORT KHI: Self-medication is global problem but in developing regions, where drugs are easily available to customers it creates major risks and challenges.

According to a recent study, this problem of self-medication in Peshawar and Mardan, two big and heavily inhibited cities of Khyber Pukhtoonkhwa, has been investigated by Haroon Ahmad of Quaid-e-Azam University and health expert Sikandar Sherwani from Federal Urdu University of Arts, Science and Technology (FUUAST) along with other fellow researchers.

The report results are alarming as 78 per cent inhabitants of these cities are engaged in self-medication whereas 45.2 per cent of these cities people prefer self-medication over physician prescription in view of their past ailments and ancestors

The study also found that around 63.6 per cent of the residents believed that they know which antibiotic has to be taken for which medical complications however in contrast 34.4 per cent of inhabitants had a misconception that antibiotics could be used in dengue fever.

“About 25.6 per cent of the participants never check expiry date on medicine, 86.1 per cent are aware that antibiotics cause allergic reactions.

The study revealed that 33.2 per cent responded that they have experienced allergic reactions due to antibiotics, 28 per cent reported that they use antibiotics of other family members for similar medical complications,” reveals the report.

According to the report, these results show that knowledge and perception of inhabitants in Peshawar and Mardan needs to be improved to reduce the problem of self-medication in these big cities.

By Web Team

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