Self-medicating health students prompt drug concerns
Research study of dentistry students at Ajman University offers insight into attitudes towards self-medicating
Young people are using antibiotics to treat the mildest of ailments, according to a study by UAE researchers that sheds light on the causes of resistance to crucial drugs.
From coughs and colds to slight illnesses, strong medicine is often being taken without proper medical advice or consideration for the consequences.
“The most common response among all participants was the time commitment of seeing a physician or scheduling limitations of student life that compelled them to self-medicate with antibiotics,” said Khalid Al Kubaisi, one of the authors of a study by researchers at the University of Sharjah and the University of Gloucestershire, England, that was published in the respected journal Pharmacy Practice.
“A few participants reported self-medicating was less expensive or less of a financial burden than seeing a doctor,” Mr Al Kubaisi said. “Buying medication was supposedly less costly than first seeing a doctor.
“Some students said their motivation for self-medicating was to avoid worrying or inconveniencing family members.”
Another expert, Dr Nehad Nabil Halawa, an anaesthetist at Burjeel Hospital in Abu Dhabi, said “people in the UAE should not be able to access antibiotics without a prescription, the rules are there but there is still misuse”.
The World Health Organisation is currently focused on efforts to reduce the spread of antimicrobial-resistant microorganisms.
There are concerns that the most serious of bugs and diseases could become resistant to treatment if overuse of drugs is allowed to continue.
People in the UAE should not be able to access antibiotics without a prescription, the rules are there
DR NEHAD NABIL HALAWA Burjeel hospital, Abu Dhabi
Students in the UAE take unprescribed antibiotics to cure simple ailments such as coughs and colds to save time and avoid worrying family members – despite the consequences of their actions, a study has found.
Research on students at the dentistry college of Ajman University set out to understand why young people choose to take unprescribed medication, and to what extent.
Bacterial resistance to antibiotics is a phenomenon that could make future use of regular drugs ineffective to fight infection.
The consequence of a global overuse of antibiotics could return medicine to the dark ages, with routine surgeries such as Cesarean sections and knee operations putting patients at risk of deadly infections.
Results of the study by
researchers at the University of Sharjah and the University of Gloucestershire, England, were published in Pharmacy Practice.
Although the sample size was relatively small, the results offered an indication of attitudes to medication among some young people.
“The most common response among all participants was the time commitment of seeing a physician or scheduling limitations of student life that compelled them to self-medicate with antibiotics,” said Khalid Al Kubaisi, one of the study authors.
“Other common reasons for taking antibiotics without a prescription were students experiencing familiar symptoms and relying on prescriptions recommended in the past.”
Students were asked questions on four main themes: medication habits and practices; reasons for self-medication; access to antibiotics without a prescription; and gaps in their knowledge of antibiotic resistance.
The findings from the students showed a broad misconception about the use of antibiotics. It also revealed a need for wider public education of the dangers of unnecessary antibiotic use.
With the exception of one British student, respondents were Arabs from Iraq, the UAE, Egypt, Jordan, Palestine, Iran and Sudan, aged between 18 and 22.
“A few participants reported self-medicating was less expensive or less of a financial burden than seeing a doctor,” Mr Al Kubaisi said. “Buying medication was supposedly less costly than first seeing a doctor.
“Some students said their motivation for self-medicating was to avoid worrying or inconveniencing family members.”
This latest research in the UAE about misuse of antibiotics follows a similar survey of more than 2,500 university students using antibiotics without prescription.
Researchers now plan to interview pharmacists to examine their roles in tackling the sale of antibiotics without prescriptions and to explore the role of physicians in tackling the problem of antibiotic misuse.
Doctors said attitudes towards antibiotics in the UAE are beginning to change slowly.
“People in the UAE should not be able to access antibiotics without a prescription, the rules are there but there is still misuse,” said Dr Nehad Nabil Halawa, an anaesthetist at Burjeel Hospital, Abu Dhabi.
“We are following international guidelines for antibiotic stewardship to bring more control in hospitals. Sometimes the prescription is given wrongly, for viral infections for example, and this needs to change.
“What’s required is education and the national stewardship programme is now mandatory, so we are seeing improvements. The resistance is there and has been as long as antibiotics have existed.”
The World Health Organisation’s Global Strategy for Containment of Antimicrobial Resistance provides a framework of interventions to slow the emergence and reduce the spread of antimicrobial-resistant microorganisms.
It aims to reduce the disease burden and spread of infection, improve access to appropriate antimicrobials and their use and strengthen health systems and their disease surveillance capabilities.
The strategy also aims to improve enforcement of regulations and legislation and encourage the development of new drugs and vaccines.
In his 30 years of practice, Dr Halawa has witnessed a gradual change in approach from patients.
“There is awareness now that common viral infections in children should not be treated with antibiotics, and that is the majority of childhood infections,” he said.
“Ten or 15 years ago, families often demanded antibiotics for their children and physicians were happy to comply but that is changing.”