[Self-medication profile in a city of south Brazil].
OBJECTIVE
The characterization of drug users, especially as regards self-medication and the determination of its prevalence in the population studied.


METHODS
About 413 people that had used drugs in the previous month were interviewed.


RESULTS
From the interviewed, 69.9% used medicines and of those 76.1% were self medicated. Headache (28.8%) was the main complaint among the self-medicated group. Acetilsalicilic acid was the most frequently used medicine (25.4%). As regards the drugs utilized, 51.2% of the users had received a recommendation from a third party and 51.7% used old prescriptions, given in previous consultations.


CONCLUSIONS
Age, schooling and absence of periodic medical consultation were significant statistical factors in self-medication.
Departamento de Fisiologia e Farmacologia, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, RS-Brasil.
J F
JF
Vilarino
I C
IC
Soares
C M
CM
da Silveira
A P
AP
Rödel
R
R
Bortoli
R R
RR
Lemos
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001938:Brazil; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012651:Self Medication / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*