Self-Medication Practices among Patients in Southwestern Iran: A Cross-Sectional Study

Asefi, Alireza; Astaraki, Peyman; Abdolkarimi, Babak; Beiranvand, Behrouz; Zare, Soodabeh; Erami, Elahe; Hasanvand, Amin

doi:10.22087/ijac.2025.510655.1055

Self-Medication Practices among Patients in Southwestern Iran: A Cross-Sectional Study

Document Type : Research

Authors

Alireza Asefi ¹

Peyman Astaraki ²

Babak Abdolkarimi ³

Behrouz Beiranvand ⁴

Soodabeh Zare ⁴

Elahe Erami ⁵

Amin Hasanvand ⁶

¹ Student Research Committee, Lorestan University of Medical Sciences, Khorramabad, Iran

² Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Lorestan University of Medical Sciences, Khorramabad, Iran.

³ Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, Lorestan University of Medical Sciences, Khoramabad, Iran

⁴ School of Health and Nutrition, Lorestan University of Medical Sciences, Khorramabad, Iran

⁵ Department of Nursing, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Torbat Heydariyeh University of Medical Sciences, Torbat Heydariyeh, Iran

⁶ Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Lorestan University of Medical Sciences, Khorramabad, Iran.

10.22087/ijac.2025.510655.1055

Abstract

Self-medication is a potentially hazardous behavior wherein individuals attempt to manage medical conditions without sufficient knowledge. This study investigated the prevalence of self-treatment among patients in Khorramabad, Iran. In this study, 390 patients referred to Shahid Rahim Hospital in 2024 completed relevant self-medication questionnaires. The data collection instrument was a questionnaire comprising five questions on demographic information, 21 questions addressing the causes of self-treatment, 19 questions regarding the types of medicines used, and 13 questions related to the types of diseases. The study results indicated that the highest rates of self-medication were observed among women, individuals with higher education, and urban residents. The most prevalent reasons for self-treatment included the use of traditional remedies by 148 individuals, the perception that the disease is not serious among 135 individuals, repeated prescriptions affecting 130 individuals, and high costs associated with treatment. Additionally, 128 individuals sought medical attention from doctors. The most frequently used medications were cold remedies, sedatives, antibiotics, antipyretics, and dermatological agents. In conclusion, self-medication represents a significant public health challenge, which can lead to severe consequences for patients if not adequately addressed. The incidence of self-medication behavior is high; therefore, it is essential to enhance awareness of drug side effects by disseminating information through various channels and shifting the perspective on self-medication.

Keywords

Self-medication

Drugs

Patients

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