Self-Medication with Antibiotics among Nursing Students in Serbia: Pilot Study

Abstract

Healthcare professionals should serve as promoters of ra-tional antibiotic use in attempt to decrease antibiotics misuse within the process of self-medication. Current pilot study was undertaken with the aim to identify potential predictors of self-medication with antibiotics (SMA) and to describe SMA practice among nursing students in Serbia. Data have been collected dur-ing the period March-May, 2016 in Medical school of bachelor degree, in Belgrade. Self-reported questionnaire served as a data source. Descriptive statistic was used to analyse study sample characteristics. Chi-square test was used to test differences be-tween groups. Study sample have included 138 participants. Al-most half of them, 43.8%, practice SMA. Life style (smoking, al-cohol consumption, sleeping habits and physical activity) and so-cio-demographic characteristics (excepted school grade) were not shown as SMA determinants. Time & money savings were stated as the most frequent reason for SMA, while common cold, sore throat and cough were the most common conditions cured through SMA. Pharmacists’ recommendations and previous pos-itive experience were specified as the most important in the pro-cess of antibiotics selection, indicated by 50.0% and 37.5% par-ticipants, respectively. Amoxicillin was the most frequently used antibiotic in SMA, used by 50% of participants who practice SMA. High proportion of SMA and observed practice among nursing students in Serbia call for efforts with regards to relevant educa-tion about rational antibiotic use, actual clinical guidelines and potential consequences of misuse.

Zdravstveni stručnjaci bi trebalo da služe kao pokretači ra-cionalne upotrebe antibiotika u pokušaju da se smanji zloupo-treba antibiotika kroz proces samomedikacije. Pilot studija je sprovedena sa ciljem da se utvrde potencijalni prediktori samomedikacije antibioticima (SMA) i da se opiše praksa SMA među studentima sestrinstva u Srbiji. Podaci su sakupljeni tokom perioda Mart-Maj 2016, u Višoj školi strukovnih studija u Be-ogradu, Srbija. Za sakupljanje podataka korišćen je upitnih za samo-popunjavanje. U analizi karakteristika ispitivanog uzorka korišćena je deskriptivna statistika. Hi-kvadrat test je korišćen za ispitivanje razlike između grupa. Ukupan broj učesnika u studiji bio je 138. Gotovo polovina, 43,8% je koristila SMA. Životni stil (pušenje, konzumiranje alkohola, navike u pogledu sna, fizička aktivnost) i socio-demografske karakteristike (izuzev godine studija) nisu pokazane kao SMA. Uštede u vremenu i novcu su navedene kao najčešći razlog za SMA, dok su prehlada, upala grla i kašalj najčešće indikacije tretirane kroz SMA. Preporuke farmaceuta i prethodno pozitivno iskustvo su navedeni kao najznačajniji faktori u odabiru antibiotika, što je tvrdilo 50,0% i 37,5% učesnika, redom. Amoksicilin je bio najčešće korišćen an-tibiotik koji je koristilo 50% učesnika kroz SMA. Visok procenat SMA i uočena praksa među studentima sestrinstva u Srbiji ukazuje na potrebe za relevantnom edukacijom u vezi sa racion-alnom upotrebom antibiotika, aktuelnim preporukama u klin-ičkim vodičima i potencijalnim posledicama nepoštovanja datih preporuka.