Self Medication Among Health Workers and Socio-demographic Factors Associated With it :

Abstract

The study was designed to investigate self-medication among health workers in Kisugu Health Centre III and socio-demographic factors associated with it. The three specific study objectives explored were: to determine the socio-demographic factors of health workers in kisugu Health Center III Makindye division associated to self medication, to determine the types of drugs which are frequently used for self medication by health workers, to identify which illnesses call for self-medication among health workers in kisugu Health Center III Makindye division Kampala.

A cross sectional study was carried out in Kisugu Health Centre III. A questionnaire was used as the instrument for data collection, a random sample of 65 health workers was adopted for the study, and all of them were considered representing 65 questionnaires. The subjects used in the study were 48 nurses, 3 medical officers, 3 clinical officers, 5 laboratory technicians, 2 dental officers, 3 health information assistants, and 1 dispenser.

The findings in the study indicated a high rate of self-medication among health workers in Kisugu Health Centre III. Familiarity with treatment was the major factor responsible for self-medication among health workers in Kisugu Health Centre III. The study also found that, the higher the practicing years or experience of the health workers, the higher the tendency of self-medication. Cough 66.7% followed by headache where the common illnesses which called for self-medication. The study also found out that the drugs which where commonly abused were analgesics, antibiotics, and antimalarials. The problem of self-medication among health workers has consequences such as; drug resistance, incorrect self diagnosis, delay in seeking medical advice, adverse drug reactions, dangerous drug interactions, incorrect dosage, incorrect choice of therapy, masking of severe diseases, drug dependence and abuse.

It is recommended that a functional policy should be initiated in that just like other patients, health workers should be entered into the patients’ book before being given any medication, and also the Uganda MOH in line with NDA should put clear laws about OTC drugs, in that no selling them to anyone without a physician’s prescription from a recognised health centre health workers. The government should also put more emphasis on the continuous medical education within health centres to keep health workers updated about the dangers of self-medication with a variety of different drugs.