Evaluation of self-medication habits among patients at the Odontostomatology unit of a secondary health facility in Cameroon

Self-medication is a major public health issue because of the hazard it creates, such as therapeutic failures and the emergence of multi-resistant bacteria, but it is still poorly documented in our local context.

Our goal was to determine the prevalence of self-medication due oral diseases when they visit the Odontostomatology unit of a secondary health facility in Cameroon.

Materials and methods

From February to May 2020, we conducted a descriptive cross-sectional study at the Odontostomatology unit of the PCC Dental Office of Djoungolo. After obtaining informed consent, data was collected using questionnaires. For the statistical analysis, the significance level was set at 5%.

Results

We retained 147 patients (75 women and 72 men) in our study. The average age was 35.3 years ± 13.5 years. Self-medication was used by 88% of our patients, and the most common reason for consultation (81% of cases) was dental pain. The most used drugs for self-medication in our patients were NSAIDs and analgesics. In our study, amoxicillin was the most used antibiotic (21%). In terms of supply routes, the pharmacy was the most common source of drug supply (39%). In our study, the factors significantly associated with self-medication were age >30, low levels of education, and certain socio-professional activities.

Conclusion

The prevalence of self-medication during oral diseases is high and is closely related to our country's socioeconomic context. This study highlights the primacy of educating patients about the risks of taking drugs without a prescription and the benefits of having routine consultations with an oral physician.