Self-medication among Basic Science Medical Students of a Tertiary Care Centre: A Descriptive Cross-sectional Study
Open accessAbstract
Introduction: Self-medication is using drugs to treat self-diagnosed signs or symptoms of oneself or others. Being closer to pharmacology and pathology, medical students have been more prone to it. The study aimed to determine the prevalence of self-medication among basic sciences medical students in a tertiary care centre in Kathmandu. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among basic science students from 15 February 2023 to 14 March 2023 after obtaining ethical approval from the Institutional Review Committee (Reference number: 04122022/04). A convenience sampling method was used. Data were collected online and analysed. Point estimate at 95% confidence interval was calculated.Results: Among 322 basic science medical students the prevalence of self-medication was 218 (67.70%) (64.81–70.59 at 95% Confidence Interval). Fever was the most common condition treated by self-medication 106 (48.62%) and paracetamol was the most common medication 93 (42.66%). Of those who engaged in self-medication, 97 (44.50%) did so to save time. Moreover, within this group, 67 (30.73%) experienced adverse drug reactions, leading 37 (16.97%) of these students to visit a private doctor. Additionally, 138 (63.30%) refrained from prescribing medication to their family and friends. Conclusions: Self-medication among basic science medical students was found to be lower in comparison to other studies done in similar settings.
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The drug classes most commonly self-medicated in India align with global patterns and support findings from preceding studies.
“aligning with global patterns and supporting findings from various preceding studies.2,34, 35, 36”
From Prevalence and patterns of self-medication practices in India: A systematic review and meta-analysis (2025) · cites this paper as [35]
The Discussion (page unavailable in our copy) says analgesics and antipyretics were the most commonly self-medicated drug class among the study's students and that this was consistent with an earlier study in India. But this study was conducted in Kathmandu, and it does not establish that drug-class patterns across India align with global patterns. (LLM, conf=0.84)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredStudents, especially healthcare students, feel more empowered to self-diagnose because of their exposure to medical knowledge.
“Several studies pointed to the fact that students, especially healthcare students, feel more empowered to self-diagnose due to their exposure to medical knowledge, which was consistent across studies.23,25,35,39”
From Prevalence and patterns of self-medication practices in India: A systematic review and meta-analysis (2025) · cites this paper as [35]
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Prevalence and patterns of self-medication practices in India: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Chaudhary, V., Kumari, S., Sharma, B., Ahuja, C., Kishore, H., & Pal, B. (2025) · Medical Journal Armed Forces India · doi:10.1016/j.mjafi.2024.11.008 · Cited by 11 · see citing works
- Authors
- Lekhak, P. P., Mainali, N., Mandal, S., Basnet, S., & Oli, N.
- Affiliations
- Kathmandu Medical College Teaching Hospital (NP)
- Corresponding author
- Lekhak, Prabineshwor Prasad
- Venue
- Journal of Nepal Medical Association
- Published
- 2024-02-29
- Volume
- 62
- Issue
- 271
- Pages
- 196-201
- ISSN
- 0028-2715 (ISSN-L)
- 1815-672X
- PMC
- PMC10924473
- OpenAlex
- W4392352872
- Cited by
- 4
- References
- 2
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2024: 1
- FWCI
- 0.95
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- diamond
- doi.org
- Locations
- Journal of Nepal Medical Association (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Immunology and Microbiology › Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology › Antibiotic Use and Resistance
- Life Sciences › Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics › Pharmacology › Pharmacy and Medical Practices
- Life Sciences › Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics › Pharmacology › Pharmaceutical industry and healthcare
- Keywords
- self-medication, medical students, prevalence, fever, paracetamol, adverse drug reactions, self-diagnosis, Kathmandu
- MeSH terms
- Acetaminophen, Adult, Cross-Sectional Studies, Female, Fever, Humans, Male, Nepal, Self Medication, Students, Medical, Prevalence, Young Adult, Tertiary Care Centers
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