Self-medication in urban and rural parishes: A case study in Ambato, Ecuador
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Abstract
Self-medication is a global phenomenon and a potential factor in developing antibiotic resistance in human pathogens. To determine the prevalence of self-medication with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in the urban and rural population of Ambato in the period March-July 2020; a descriptive and cross-sectional study was conducted where participants went without prescription to community pharmacies in Santa Rosa and Izamba (rural area) and San Francisco and La Matriz (urban area) of Ambato. They were invited to answer a survey where sociodemographic aspects and general information (medications, causes, diseases) were evaluated. A sample of 760 people, primarily women (56.7%), with 29.6% living in rural areas, was used. The results showed that 45.7% of the subjects were self-medicating; of these, 65.4% belonged to the urban sector. In addition, factors predisposing to this practice were identified, such that most of them had a secondary or higher level of education. Likewise, the media had a direct influence, among which family (40.9%), the internet (27.7%), and advertisements (16.7%) stood out. In comparison, lack of time (34.3%) and proximity to community pharmacies (32%) were the main reasons for self-medication.
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