Self-medication among medical students: a systematic review and meta-analysis of prevalence, causes, common drugs, and sources of information

Abstract

Self-medication is one of the most important public health challenges, especially for medical students. Despite the extensive studies conducted in this field, no comprehensive study has been undertaken regarding the various aspects of self-medication. Therefore, this study was conducted to determine the prevalence, causes, types of drugs used, and sources of information on self-medication among medical students. In the present systematic review and meta-analysis, four international databases (Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, and Excerpta Medica Database) were searched from January 1, 2000, to December 30, 2019. The keywords used were: “Prevalence”, “Self Medication”, “Medical Students”, “Causes”, “Resources”. To evaluate the quality of the included studies, the tool previously described by Hoy et al. was used. Of the 1 071, searched studies, 76 studies conducted on 29 726 students from 25 countries were selected for the final stage. The prevalence of self-medication in the past year (2019) was found to be 77.6% (95% confidence interval: 74.0–81.2; I2 = 99.0%). Healthcare workers (39.1%) were found to be the most important source of information on self-medication. In most studies, abdominal problems (n = 30) were the most common causes of self-medication. Based on the high prevalence of self medication among medical students, training courses should be conducted to increase student awareness. Moreover, implementation of strict laws at national level can help to reduce the practice of self-medication.