Self-Medication Practices: An Exploratory Study*

The objectives of this study were to identify the diseases which are commonly self-treated, people’s sources of information about drugs, the differential credibility attributed to these information sources the degree of perceived risk in self-medication and pre dispositional differences among people in the adoption of various risk reduction methods. Ninety adults from three separate localities of Ahmedabad were interviewed with the help of a structured interview schedule. In addition, 13 general medical practitioners in Bombay were interviewed for assessing their reactions to self-medication in the context of usage of over-the-counter drugs. The results showed that headache is self-treated by almost all. However, some diseases fall in the “gray” area wherein about half the people treat themselves and the other half consult the doctor. With respect to source credibility, elders in the family rank next to the doctor who commands the highest credibility. Regarding purchases of OTC drugs, risk reduction is achieved primarily by buying the medicine that was recommended earlier by the doctor and/or satisfaction derived from previous usage. It was also found that those who express a lot of concern over health and minor ailments adopt a variety of risk reduction methods and are considerably responsive to advertisements. Greater awareness of brands also appears to have a direct relationship with the frequency of purchase of drugs. Implications of findings for possible marketing action have been discussed.