Self-medication among children and adolescents are commonly practiced. At their ages, they still require parental guidance or healthcare professionals’ supervision due to their limited knowledge about self-medication. If conducted improperly, it may lead to inappropriate drug therapy or drug toxicity, which can become a public health concern. The study conducted by the research team from the Faculty of Pharmacy UNAIR aims to understand the self-medication behaviour in school-age children and adolescents. This research was designed as a cross-sectional study where data was collected using a questionnaire method. There were 195 students who participated as respondents in this study, consisting of students from SDN Keputih 245, SMPN 19 Surabaya, and SMAN 11 Surabaya. The results revealed that the majority of school-age children and adolescents are familiar with self-medication, and their primary source of information on this topic is their family. Though most of the respondents stated that they always consult with the parents or doctors, it is found that some of them don’t. Moreover, some respondents believe that self-medication is safe. Therefore, the role of pharmacists is crucial in providing appropriate education about drug information and self-medication for school-age students.

Author: Andang M.

Source:

Mufarrihah, M., Yuda, A., Paramanandana, A., Retnowati, D., Cahyani, D. M., Sari, R., … & Miatmoko, A. (2023). Self-medication Profiles In School-age Adolescents In Surabaya City, Indonesia. J Public Health Afr. https://doi.org/10.4081/jphia.2023.2530