[Self-medication, the new silence epidemic. Studies in patients of clinical practice and mental health].
OBJECTIVE
The goal of this study is to describe magnitude and characteristics of self- medication in a psychiatric and clinical out-patients unit.


METHODS
consecutive sample of 898 subjects (Mental Health 358 and Clinical Practice 540) at University Hospital, Buenos Aires, Argentina (2002). A questionnaire was administered by interviewers and was completed with information about social and demographics characteristics, physical and psychological health problems, and perception about doctors and patient relationships were collected.


RESULTS
use of medication under prescription, 27.5%; without prescription, 60% (27.5% OTC and 31.9% automedication). The drugs more used in automedications were the psychotropics 59.8% (ansiolitics 88.8%) y antibiotics 9.4%. The 50% of the sample didn't consider automedication a risky behavior. Main reasons for beginning: 38.9% had had same problem previously treated by a doctor with that medication; and to alleviate symptomatic distress. No statistical significance was found related to age, sex, educational status. There was statistically significance associated with: less medical visits during last 12 months (p<0.01). Use of complementary therapies (p<0.0001), pain for more than 6 months (p<0.001), dissatisfaction with the manner in which the cause of the illness was investigated and how the diagnosis and treatment were informed to the patient (p<0.02).


CONCLUSIONS
The automedication is dangerously installed and it's control is shared responsibility of doctors, patients, pharmaceutics and Public Health. The doctor must include the detection of abuse or misuse of psychotropics and assume the pedagogical task discussing the risk of autoprescription.
Franco
Jorge A
JA
División Tratamientos Ambulatorios, Departamento de Salud Mental, Hospital de Clínicas José de San Martín, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Córdoba 2351 (1120), Buenos Aires, Argentina. jfranco@intramed.net.ar
Pecci
Cristina
C
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001118:Argentina / Q000453:epidemiology; D011307:Drug Prescriptions / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008875:Middle Aged; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D012651:Self Medication / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*