Self-Medication Aggravate Diseases; Increases Medical Problems

ISLAMABAD,(UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 3rd Augst,2016) : Vice Chancellor Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) Javed Akram on Wednesday urged that Self-medication should be strongly discouraged as it increases the medical problems among patients. Talking to ptv news he said, strict policies needed to be implemented on the advertising and selling of medications to prevent this problem from escalating. Prevalence of self-medication is high among illiterate people, despite majority being unaware of its harmful effects, he added. "There is a need to educate the masses to ensure safe practices and media has to play key role in it", he said. While informing about its harmful effects on human body he defined it as obtaining and consuming drugs without the advice of a physician either for diagnosis, prescription or surveillance of treatment is not safe for the human health. There is much public and professional concern about the irrational use of drugs he said. The VC added that various studies have shown that self medication practices are more common in women and among those who live alone, have a lower socioeconomic status, more chronic ailments, psychiatric conditions, especially at younger age.

He said in Pakistan almost every pharmacy sells drugs without a prescription and consequently, antibiotics and potentially habit forming medicines are easily available to the common man. Most medicines had been purchased directly from pharmacies while the stock of medicines at home ranked second, he informed. He recommended that a holistic approach must be taken to prevent this problem from escalating which would involve awareness and education regarding the implications of self medication. The risks that are associated with self-medication include using inappropriate medications that cause side effects. Self-medicating is dangerous.

It can cause serious problems, so it is important to set up an appointment with a doctor when any symptoms of an illness or mental health condition occur, he advised. Antibiotics are only effective against bacterial infections and cannot help you recover from infections caused by viruses such as the common cold or the flu, he concluded.