Resumen

HERMOZA-MOQUILLAZA, Rocío et al. Self-medication in district of Lima Metropolitana, Peru. Rev Med Hered [online]. 2016, vol.27, n.1, pp.15-21. ISSN 1018-130X.

Self-prescription is a risk practice whose consequences include masking the diagnosis, side effects, drug interactions, rising of antimicrobial resistance to certain kind of drugs and drug dependence. Objective: To determine the frequency of self-medication among people attending drug stores in a district of metropolitan Lima, and to describe variations according by age, gender and degree of education. Methods: Observational, cross-sectional study in which a survey was applied between September and November of 2013. A systematics sampling was used to select 406 participants living in Pueblo Libre district of Lima. Results: Frequency of self-prescription was 56.65% (IC 95% 0.4985 - 0.6302); 36.09% were young people between 18-24 years of age; 51.3% were males, and 58.7% had basic level of education (primary and secondary school). The most common kind of self-prescription was that suggested by the customer (49.13%) followed by that suggested by relatives (21.7%). Pain was the most comom cause for self-prescription in 40.35% and NSAID (30%) were the most common drugs purchased, followed by anti-flu medications (20.87%), gastro-intestinal medications (15.22%), analgesics (8.67%), anti-alergic medications (7.39%) and antibiotics (4.35%). Conclusions: Self-medication in this setting is high.

Palabras clave : Self-medication; therapeutic drug; frequency.

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