Medication Storage and Self Medication Practice among the Youth in Karnataka Region, India

Aim: The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence, approach and behavior towards medication storage & self-medication practice amongst the youth in Karnataka, India. Methodology: A pre-cross sectional survey was conducted, administering a pre-piloted questionnaire among the target population. Sample size of 150 was analyzed using the percentage method. Results: Out of 150 respondents, 84.62% were found to store medications in their rooms. The prevalence of self-medication was 88.6%. The most common reasons for self-medication were: respondents’ knowledge about the illness & its treatment (47.06%), the time saving factor (44.12%), and prescriber’s ineffective medications (8.82%). Commonly stored medications included analgesics/anti-pyretic (28.07%) and anti-infectives (17.54%). Others included were ENT drugs (14%), Gastrointestinal (GIT) drugs (14%), skin products (6%), Vitamins (8%), ayurvedic medicines (10%), while remaining were categorized as miscellaneous (15.33%). Other considered parameters include: awareness about proper use & expiry dates, and storage & disposal condition. It was concluded that medication storage and self medication were highly prevalent among students. Discussion: There is an immediate need to educate people regarding the safe use of drugs. Strict regulatory policies need to be implemented on unrestricted availability of the drugs to ensure safety. INTRODUCTION: Indian Pharmaceutical industry stands fourth in terms of volume and thirteenth in terms of value globally; exports ceiling to approx. 2.6 USD billion, while the domestic sales are as high as 4 million USD . About 200 brands for every molecule are present in the Indian market . This fierce competition among brands has led to the controlled pricing of medicines, which in turn leads to availability of medicines at extremely cheap and affordable prices as compared to rest of the world. The bleak side of this ever-increasing competition is rampant unethical marketing practice, leading to uncontrolled availability. Such practice, along with weak enforcement of regulatory laws, enhances the probability of self-medication and misuse . The Schedule-H (Drugs and Cosmetic Act of 1940) lists the prescription-only drugs: antimicrobials, sedatives, tranquilizers etc. But even these drugs, which essentially demand prescriber’s discretion based on risks verses benefits, are at times available over the counter (OTC) . Correspondence to Author: Dr. Anantha Naik Nagappa (M. Pharm, Ph. D.) Professor, Department of Pharmacy Management, Manipal College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Manipal University, Manipal-576 104, Karnataka, India E-mail: [email protected]