Self-medication

People who feel ill often take drugs they bought themselves. They do this for common illnesses. This behaviour is called self-medication or self medication. Usually the drugs are over the counter drugs. These can be obtained without a prescription. They can be bought in pharmacies. Sometimes they are even sold in supermarkets and convenience stores. People do not see a doctor. For this reason it is important that the pharmacist gives useful information about the drug. Studies have shown that people often think that they have a different disease, and that talking to the pharmacist can sometimes resolve this error. Depending on the situation the pharmacist can also recommend a doctor's visit.

Risks

Even if this behaviour is common, there are some risks:

• Certain drugs must not be taken together.
• Getting the right amount or dose of a drug may be difficult. Also there often is a maximum dose people may take per day. Taking too much is called a drug overdose and can be dangerous.
• People who have taken drugs for a longer period of time may get used to them. This means that to get the same effect, they will need a different dose. It can also mean that for them, this drug no longer works.
• Several diseases have similar symptoms. Finding the exact disease can be difficult. Sometimes, special tests are needed. An untrained person sometimes does not recognize the disease. As a result, he or she may take drugs against a different disease.
• Certain people do not support certain drugs.

• Using self-medication people can unintentionally hurt themselves.
• For certain categories of diseases, there is a risk that the agent that is causing the disease (called pathogen) becomes resistant to the drug. This is often the case with antibiotics. For this reason, antibiotics are not available as over-the-couner drugs in many countrires.

References

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