“Eat your food as your medicine or else take medicine as your food”

Self-medication; does not sound weird? When we hear medication there is an impression of doctor,  nurse, clinic, hospital running in our mind but the word “ SELF’’ Prior to it makes the word complicated. So what does it mean? Self-medication is a global phenomenon and a potential contributor to human pathogen resistance to antibiotics. The adverse consequences of such practices should always be emphasized to the community and steps to curb them.

Traditionally it is defined as “ Taking of drugs, herbs, home remedies,  on one's own initiative or on the advice of another person, without consulting a doctor.

India consists of 121crore people it is said that for every 1700 citizens there is only one doctor !!! That’s why it put the practice of self-medication on the rise. And with the presence of grandfather, grandmother, aunt, mother, neighbor who needs a doctor?

Fortunately, in the time of covid -19, the practice of self-medication impacts both positively and negatively upon the health of people which is clear evidence of the consequences of the practice of self-medication. People when test positive often rely on self-medication by making themselves isolated rather than spreading the pathogen.

The medicines include-

• Sinarest
• Vitamin -c
• Zinc tablet
• Azithromycin
• Calcium tablet

But from the other angle, the practice of self-medication even leads to fatal symptoms which even leads to serious ailments of healthy physiology.

• Education
• Family
• Society
• Law
• Availability of drugs
• Exposure to advertisements

• Previous prescription
• Advertisement
• Chemist druggist shopkeeper
• Google
• Books
• Relatives 

Self-medication practice can not be considered as entirely a bad thing as it has some positive impacts on the rural and remote areas which are prevalent in countries like India. drugs of self-medication can be classified as ‘’ Over counter drugs’’  it can be purchased without any doctor's prescription. It is found that self-medication practice is approximately 57.10%. almost from 1960 the west self-care and self-medication were viewed as irrelevant and unhealthy methods. The widespread use of suboptimal usage of antibiotics in the treatment of major public threats.

• Active role in his self-medication
• Self-reliance in treating minor symptoms
• Convenience
• Economically affordable
• Saving medical sources from being wasted
• Lowering the govt. fund on health care practices
• Reducing absenteeism from work
• Reduce the pressure on medical practices
• Increase the availability of medical health care to rural and remote people

• Incorrect self-diagnosis
• Incorrect therapeutic use
• Failure to recognize the symptoms
• Rare  but severe adverse effects
• Failure to seek medical advice promptly
• Failure to recognize adverse drug reactional
• Incorrect route of administration
• Inadequate drug usage
• Excessively prolonged use
• Food and drug interaction
• Storage in the incorrect condition 

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