Self medication practice among undergraduate pharmacy students in Kathmandu Valley, Nepal Nirajan Bhattarai* Department of Pharmacy, Maharajgunj Medical Campus, Institute of Medicine, Tribhuvan Universtiy, Kathmandu, Nepal. Email:nirajanbhattarai4@gmail.com Deepak Basyal Faculty, Department of Pharmacy, Maharajgunj Medical Campus, Institute of Medicine,Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, Nepal. Email:deepakpharmacy@yahoo.com Nirjala Bhattarai Manmohan Memorial Institute of Health Science, Kathmandu, Nepal. Email:kineticquantum@gmail.com Abstract Background Self medication is practice by a pharmacist or lay person to treat minor health problem or symptoms without prescription. The study was conducted to evaluate the medication pattern, behaviour, practice and attitude among undergraduate pharmacy students on self medication. Methods Descriptive cross sectional questionnaire based study was conducted among 175 pharmacy undergraduates in different institutions within Kathmandu valley, Nepal using prevalidated, five sectional and structured questionnaires. Results Non steroidal analgesic, anti-inflammatory and antipyretic drugs (n=235, 38.29%) were mostly preferred for the treatment of fever (n=94, 55.29%) and headaches (n=89, 52.35%), mainly paracetamol (n=144, 23.8%).Community pharmacies (n=136, 80.00%) and pharmacist recommendation (n=76, 44.70%) were main sources of obtaining and selecting particular medicine and its dose (n=108, 63.54% ) while friends and family (n=75, 44.11%) remained main source of information. 128(75.29%)always checked up the information on package label or insert, mainly date of manufacturing (n=96, 56.47%) . 70(41.17%) respondents fully and 71(41.76%) of them partly understood the information. 161(94.30%)respondent always checked the expiry date before medicating. Significant proportion perceived it as unacceptable practice with main reasons of being unsafe (n=64, 37.64%) and potential adverse reaction (n=21, 12.35%).52(30.58%) of them faced adverse reactions or side effects. Allopathic system (n=114, 67.05%) was preferable medication system for self medication. Conclusion Most common drugs were NSAIDs, primly paracetamol, cough and cold reliever and GI infection ailments. Students and their profession interrelationship were predominant shaping their attitude and behaviour on self medication. Key words: Self medication, pharmacy, undergraduate students, questionnaire. Background Self care is individual initiative to restore health or deal with minor illness [1-5]. It incorporates extensive concept integrating hygiene, nutrition, lifestyle, environmental factor, socioeconomic factor and self medication [2, 3]. Self medication, often called as non prescription or over the counter medication, is integral part of self care [6]. World Health Organization (WHO, 1998) and International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP, 1999) jointly defined self medication as practice by an individual or pharmacist or lay person to treat symptom or minor health problems recognised as such by themselves instead of consulting medical practionner[1, 4]. The criteria for considering health problem as minor illness are having limited duration of action and perceived as non-threatening to the patient according to Winfield and Richard(2004)[7]. Nirajan Bhattarai et al./ International Journal of Pharma Sciences and Research (IJPSR) ISSN : 0975-9492 Vol 5 No 11 Nov 2014 737