Abstract:

Background: Self-medication with antibiotics involves the use of antibiotics to treat self-diagnosed disorders or symptoms. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of antibiotic self-medication among adult patients with respiratory tract infections, associated factors, sources and the most common antibiotics used in the community.

Methods: The data was collected through questionnaires by interviewing patients diagnosed with respiratory tract infections. The photos of commonly used antibiotics were care attached to help the patients easy recall the antibiotics they used.

Results: Among 186 patients who responded to the interview 103(55.3%) responded that they had self-medicate with antibiotics, 98 (50.48%) had self-medicated for respiratory tract infections and only 5 (4.9%) for other problems. The common source of antibiotics was from community pharmacies (65.1%). The commonly used antibiotic was amoxicillin (59.2%) followed by phenoxymethlpenicillin (11.7%) and Tetracycline (10.7%). The most health complaint was cough (47.6%) followed by common cold (27.2%). Accessibity and cost effectiveness was among the factors that contributed to self-medication (60%) of the participants.

Conclusion: Antibiotics self-medication among patients with respiratory tract infections exist in the community, with most patients medicating themselves with antibiotics without consulting health care providers. Community pharmacy dispensers contributed to the self-medication with antibiotics for respiratory tract infections as this study revealed that the advice for use of antibiotics come from community pharmacies. Thus the health care system should take action to regulate prescribing practices for antibiotics.