Perceptions, Knowledge and Practice of Self-Medication among Undergraduate Pharmacy Students in Malaysia: A Cross Sectional Study

Abstract

Background: Awareness about health status has increased the prevalence of self-medication. Several factors play role in self-medication like gender, socioeconomic status, education level and frequency of illness. Objective: To explore the perceptions, knowledge and practice of self-medication among pharmacy students from International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM), Kuantan. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from October to December 2015. A convenience sample was taken from year 1 to year 4 of pharmacy students. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 21. Results: Of 462 questionnaires distributed, 379 were returned giving a response rate of (88.3%). The results show significant difference on the level of knowledge among pharmacy students from different academic levels (p Key words: Self-medication, Pharmacy students, Perception, Knowledge level, Malaysia.