Frequency and Causes of Self-Medication among Paramedical Students of Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences in 2019

 Self-medication is an important health issue that its prevalence is increasing and threatens the health of various people in society, especially youngs. Therefore, this study was performed with aim to determine the frequency and causes of self-medication among paramedical students of Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences (RUMS) in 2019.

 This descriptive study was performed on 296 paramedical students of RUMS. The subjects were selected by census method. Data were collected using a 28-item questionnaire. Data were analyzed by Chi-square, independent t-test and Fisher's exact test.

 Prevalence of self-medication among paramedical students was 76.4% and was increased during university education (p= 0.002). The most common disease which led to self-medication was gastrointestinal disease (28.7%), the most commen used drug was analgesic (61.6%), and the most commonly used form of drug was tablet (67.9%). The most common cause of self-medication was previous experience of drug use.
Funding: This research was funded by Research Council of Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences.

 The results showed that the prevalence of self-medication was high among paramedical students of RUMS. It is suggested that continuous training programs be developed to reduce this misbehavior and its complications.