Official websites use. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Self-medication SM means using drugs to treat self-diagnosed diseases or symptoms. Despite its important role in reducing the load on medical services, it may bear many risks. This study aims to determine the prevalence of SM and its determinants among adult inpatients of Damascus Hospital, Syria.
Study design. Cross-sectional study. Data were analysed using statistical package for the social sciences SPSS. A chi-square test was used to detect correlation between variables. Out of respondents, Most used drugs were analgesics, antipyretics, and antibiotics. Pharmacists were the main source of knowledge about the drugs used in SM.
The leading reason for practicing SM was the mildness of the complaint. Approximately half of the participants declared they read leaflets of drugs they used in SM. In this study, SM was significantly associated with monthly income, age, and living place.
The prevalence of SM in Damascus Hospital is high. Larger, nationwide studies are needed to identify the prevalence and determining factors of SM in Syria and to suggest the appropriate measures to control this phenomenon.
