Self-medication profile of dental patients in Ondo State, Nigeria.
BACKGROUND
The practice of self medication has been extensively researched but there is dearth of information about its modality among dental patients in developing countries. Hence, this study was designed to determine the proportion of dental patients who practice, medications employed and the reasons for resorting to self medication in general dental populations in Ondo State, Nigeria and to make appropriate recommendations.


METHODS
This study was conducted between June 2007 and June 2008 at the Federal Medical Centre, Owo and State Specialist Hospital, Akure, Ondo State, Nigeria. Five hundred and thirty six consenting respondents were selected by multistage sampling technique and interviewed with the aid of semi structured questionnaire.


RESULTS
Almost half of the respondents (42% or n=225) admitted to self medication while the majority (58%) did not practice it. Drugs utilized are usually singly (56.4%) rather than in combination (43.6%), commonly analgesics (50.1%) and antibiotics (30.4%), with the majority (45.8%) using the medications for at least one week. The reasons cited by respondents for self medication were their perception that they know what to do and it saves time and money.


CONCLUSIONS
A sizable majority of the respondents admitted to self-medication usually with analgesics. Adequate health education of the populace on the use and misuse of analgesics needs to be mounted, while dental services should be made readily available and affordable so that self medication among dental patients can be reduced to the barest minimum.
Department of Dental Services, Federal Medical Centre, Owo, Ondo State, Nigeria. dapoyemi99@yahoo.com
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Afolabi
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Akinmoladun
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Adebose
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Elekwachi
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000700:Analgesics / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009549:Nigeria; D015995:Prevalence; D012651:Self Medication / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014098:Toothache / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult
D000700:Analgesics; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents