The aim of the present study was to evaluate the knowledge
and behavior toward antibiotic self-medication among college students
in the capital of Iran (Tehran). A close and open-ended questionnaire
was used to collect data from a sample of 160 students, randomly chosen
from Shariaty Technical Faculty, Tehran, Iran. Data was collected using
self administered questionnaires with open-ended and close-ended items.
Data were entered and analyzed using SPSS 14 and the results were presented
as the percentage. About 97.5% of respondents filled and returned the
questionnaire. Self-medication with antibiotics was reported by 53% of
students during the last 3 months. The main indication for self-medication
with antibiotics was respiratory problems (73.3%) such as common cold
and sore throat. Amoxicillin was the most commonly used antibiotic (40%).
The main source of medicines was drugs which stored in students home (47.8%)
and after that drugstores (44.8%). Only 26.8% of antibiotic users completed
the course of antibiotic therapy. The prevalence of self-medication with
antibiotics among college students was high. Educational programs are
needed to teach university students about the potential problems of self-medication
with antibiotics. PDFFulltextXMLReferencesCitation
How to cite this article
S. Sarahroodi and A. Arzi, 2009. Self Medication with Antibiotics, Is it a Problem among Iranian College Students in Tehran?. Journal of Biological Sciences, 9: 829-832.