Self-Medication

The  Problems associated with Self-Medication

Self-Medication is the act of obtaining and consuming drugs without advice of a doctor either for diagnosis, prescription or surveillance of treatment.

Effect  and dangers of Self-Medication.

 It should be known that medicines are chemicals which can have both good and bad effects on human body . Indeed just as medicines can cure, they can also harm. Some of the problems associated with self-medication are:

* Adverse drug reactions: This is noxious (harmful), unintended and occurs at doses normally used for prophylasis, diagnosis or therapy. Some of these reactions range from mild to moderate e.g rashes while some may be fatal and  depends on individuals. Thus, measure are usually taken towards prevention, recognition and awareness creation on use and misuse of drugs. This is known as Pharmocovigilance. A person taking drugs on self-medication may not aware of this and can expose him/herself to health harzard.

*Drugs interaction: Many people taking self-medication usually combine different drugs. Unknown to them that these drugs may interact with each other and lead to reduction in potency (reduction in healing effect)

*Side effects: All drugs have side effects e.g. vomiting nausea for some drugs. Sometimes, the side effects are expected and are tolerated but when drugs are taken without doctor`s advice, the side effects could be severe and damaging.

*Improper Use of Drugs: Due to non-consulting with proper medical personnel before use of drugs, most times people use drugs inappropriately or wrongly. Some drugs are not meant to be taken by pregnant woman.

* Drug Resistance: This is the principle of a drug not being able to exert its curative effects on the body. It is usually a consequence of repeated use of a drug in doses not adequate enough as when therapy is not completed or non compilant. (e.g using drug once instead of three times)

* Drug Abuse: Repeated use of some drugs that can lead to addiction. The use of such drugs is restricted to doctors` prescription and recommendation only. 

* Victim to adulterated and fake drugs: Self medication prevents proper monitoring of drug purchase and dispensing.

* Delay in proper diagnosis and treatment: This is pehaps one of the most costly effects of self-medication. Uses of medicine without doctor`s advice prevented many people from going  to hospital when they are sick (especially in Africa). This prolongs their suffering and masking more serious diseases such as tuberculosis, cancer, hypertension, diabetes etc, which can actually treated or managed when discovered early.

Why Self-medication ?

Various reasons can be adduced for this. Some of which include:

* Ignorance: this most happen in African countries where many poeple are unaware that drugs can harm and hence need proper advice from a qualified personnel before use. Also, ignorance of some who believe drugs are solution to any ill health this make them patronize quacks and chemist instead of a proper health centre.

*Extreme Poverty: This has affected every aspect of lives in Africa including our health, people are afraid of going to hospital simply because they cannot afford to pay for drugs or hospital bills. Thus they prefer to go to chemist or drug peddlers in a bid to save cost at the expense of their health.

* Lack of easy access to some prescribed drugs: Sometimes, people have to go to long distance in some African countires to get their prescribed drugs. 

Therefore, they prefer to settle for supposedly easily available alternatives.