AbstractIntroduction: Acne vulgaris is one of the most common dermatological disorders that afflict people in their adolescence. Self-medication is a common practice in medical students because of pharmacological knowledge and easy availability of drugs from different sources. The present study assessed self medication for acne vulgaris among young population.
Materials & Methods: The present study was conducted on 285 patients of Acne vulgaris of both genders. The questionnaire was designed regarding the pattern of self-medication, knowledge about dose, reasons, mechanism of action, adverse effect, complication, precaution, and contraindication.
Results: Out of 285 patients, males were 130 and females were 155. Common reason for self medication was lack of time in 71, easy availability in 85, mildness of illness in 30, previous prescription in 56 and drug knowledge in 43 cases. The difference was significant (P< 0.05). Source of information was books in 13%, social media in 42%, drug advertisement in 12%, pharmacist in 28% and drug leftover in 10%. Benzoyl peroxide was used in 12%, clindamycin in 8%, doxycycline in 15%, tretinoin in 20% and calamine lotion in 45%. The difference was significant (P< 0.05).
Conclusion: Authors found that common reason for self medication was lack of time, easy availability, mildness of illness, previous prescription and drug knowledge was benzoyl peroxide clindamycin, doxycycline, tretinoin and calamine lotion.
