International Journal of Research in Medical Sciences | July-September 2014 | Vol 2 | Issue 3 Page 1092 International Journal of Research in Medical Sciences Jaiswal S et al. Int J Res Med Sci. 2014 Aug;2(3):1092-1096 www.msjonline.org pISSN 2320-6071 | eISSN 2320-6012 Research Article Pattern self-medication use of analgesics in Pune, Maharashtra, India Shruti Jaiswal 1 , Yogendra N. Keche 2 *, Radha Yegnanarayan 2 , Giriraj Gajendra 1 , Kshitija Chandanwale 1 , Vinaya Lanke 1 , Surabhi Jain 1 , Aditi Dakua 1 , Gourav Das 1 , Aishwarya Bhat 1 , Sailee Belvi 1 , Anandita Desai 1 INTRODUCTION Self-medication or non-prescription drug use is common in developing countries. 1 There is increase in trend for self-care which resulted in self-medication with powerful drugs including drug combinations. 2 Advantages of self-medication are: 1) encouragement of consumer for taking active role in their health 2) monetary savings: total annual savings resulting from a move of 5% of prescribed medication to self-medication in seven European countries has been found to be more than €16 billion. 3 Development in self-medication need to be carefully managed if benefits are to be maximized and to decrease the potential risk. 2 Pain problems are important reasons for self-medication of analgesics. One of the commonest complaints for use of analgesic self-medication is headache. Around 25% patients are not happy with physician’s treatment for headache and 45% migraine patients do not take advice ABSTRACT Background: Objective of current study was to find out self-medication pattern and to study awareness of ADRs to analgesics self-medication. Methods: II MBBS students collected the information of names of analgesics self-medication, dose, frequency of administration, health related problem for use of self-medication, source of information for the use of self-medication and information about ADRs. Students also educated the population about ADRs to analgesics with the help of ADR checklist. Results: Paracetamol was most commonly taken as self-medication and 39% persons reported ADRs with paracetamol. Ibuprofen, diclofenac, paracetamol and aspirin were taken less than WHO DDD for joint pain. 79% study population was ignorant about ADRs to analgesics. Headache (37%) was common health related problem for self-medication of analgesics. Conclusion: Information about problems with repeated use of analgesics like liver damage, analgesic nephropathy, gastric ulceration/bleeding should be provided by pharmacists either orally or with the help of leaflets or display board. Headache is common health related problem for the use of analgesics as self-medication. Pharmacists should take help of assistance tool to diagnosis headache like screener for migraine and guidelines for chronic headache for timely visit of self-medicating person to physician. Keywords: Self-medication, Analgesics, Headache, ADRs 1 MBBS Student, Smt Kashibai Navale Medical College and General Hospital, Narhe Ambegaon, Pune-411041, Maharashtra, India 2 Department of Pharmacology, Smt Kashibai Navale Medical College and General Hospital, Narhe Ambegaon, Pune- 411041, Maharashtra, India Received: 3 July 2014 Accepted: 13 July 2014 *Correspondence: Dr. Yogendra N. Keche, E-mail: drynkeche@gmail.com © 2014 Jaiswal S et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License, which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. DOI: 10.5455/2320-6012.ijrms20140887