Self-medication refers to the use of drugs to treat self-diagnosed symptoms, disorders or the intermittent or continued use of a prescribed drug for chronic or recurrent disease or symptoms. Medicines for self-medication are often called ‘non prescription’ or ‘over-the-counter’ (OTC) and are available without a doctor’s prescription through pharmacies while medicines that require a doctor’s prescription are called prescription products (Rx products).

 

While in some countries, OTC products are available in supermarkets and other outlets, in Nigeria, such drugs are also sold in buses, road side or even hawked by people who have little or no knowledge of drugs.

Medical reports have shown that self-administered treatment for physical or psychological ailments, if motivated by addictive mechanisms, pose serious physical and mental risk to users. 

 

In Nigeria, some of the most commonly abused drugs are cough and cold medicines acquired over-the-counter, without any prescription. Because they are easily purchased in drug stores without prescription, cough syrups, pills, and gel capsules containing Dextromethorphan (DXM) — particularly “extra strength” forms—are frequently abused by young people. However, when taken as intended, cough and cold medicines safely treat symptoms of lower and upper respiratory tract.

 

Some medical experts are of the view that illiteracy, poverty especially in the rural areas is worsening the rate of self medication in Nigeria. Also the ugly practice is largely supported by some unpatriotic and recalcitrant pharmacists who do not follow the ethics of their profession. In developed countries, drug administration must conform to medical standards but the case is different in developing countries, like Nigeria, where ethical standards are most times not respected. 

 

Pharmacists, doctors and regulatory agencies charged with the responsibility of giving healthcare and sound medical advice to patients are, in some cases, found wanting in the discharge of their  duties. A pharmacist, Olayinka Olajide, of the Health Dome Pharmacy and Stores, warns that there are many dangers associated with self-medication, including death. Olajide said that some people do not know about the harmful effects of abusing drugs or the down side of prolonged use of self-prescribed medicine.

 

He said: “People are not fully aware of the effect of drugs sold to them. They are victims of medical practitioners who want to enrich themselves. Take, for instance, the codeine cough syrup, it is an OTC drug but the administration should, and must be monitored to prevent abuse but some medical experts, driven by economic gain, fail to counsel individuals on the risk of over exposure.

 

“The Community pharmacist is the closest health giver to the community dwellers and they must continuously engage the people through awareness, education and counselling on the proper use of medication. They should also make use of the poison book to record sales of harmful drugs, quantity of drugs, information and signature of the person buying it. By the time the person comes back asking for more dosage, then, the pharmacist can raise query.”

 

It is interesting to note that pharmacies and drug stores are mandated to maintain “poison books”. These are registers used to record sales of harmful drugs by pharmacists, approved by the Pharmacist Council of Nigeria (PCN), in a bid to regulate access to controlled drugs and to also ensure proper dispensation and documentation of over-the-counter drugs.

 

The pharmacist advised that the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN), Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and non-governmental organisations should  increase  efforts towards tackling inappropriate self-prescribed medication. Mrs. Iyiola Rahmat, a pharmacist at Aliyah Pharmacy, Mararaba, Nasarawa State, said that the rate of drug abuse is on the increase because many people prefer to self-medicate than to go to the hospital. 

 

She partly attributes this development to economic hardship, saying: “Some people self-medicate because they don’t have money to visit the hospital, especially in local communities. The complaint is usually about the high cost of consultation, laboratory test and drugs from the hospital. As a result, they often times rely on friends and family for prescription. And even when medical advice is given by a pharmacist they tend to hold on to advise from friends or hearsay, saying they know people who self-medicated on such drugs without any problem.”

 

Additionally, the medical expert said that people engage in self-medication because of some psychological, social and emotional reasons. She said there are some drugs commonly abused by individuals, especially youths. Mrs. Iyiola called on the government, parents, religious leaders and educationists to partner with the health sector in sensitising the general public on the dangers of self-medication.