- All > Medicine Information and Evidence for Policy > Information and Publications
- All > Medicine Access and Rational Use > Rational Use
(2010; 3 pages)
The nature and extent of self-medication varies in different cultural contexts and social and educational infl uences may be greater than the infl uence of medical practice1-4. In the United States, several studies indicate considerable use of ‘leftovers’, drugs obtained from a family member, a pharmacy, or a source outside of the country. For example, in a Hispanic neighborhood of New York City, it was found that antimicrobial drugs were available without a prescription. In Europe, studies describing self-medication and storage of antimicrobial drugs in Spain, Greece, Russia, and Malta also suggest use of the drugs without consulting a physician5-9. The data regarding “health seeking behavior” and “medicines use” is scarce in Pakistan and a study was conducted to evaluate these issues...