Self-Medication Practice among Moroccan Medical Students

Background: Self-medication (SM) is widely practiced worldwide, since many drugs are dispensed without prescription.This phenomenon can lead to an increased resistance of pathogens, drug reaction and drug dependence.The objective of our study was to estimate the prevalence of SM practice, to describe its characteristics among Moroccan medical students, and to identify factors associated with this practice.Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out between October and December 2023, including all medical students of the Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy of Casablanca.Results: A total of 457 students participated in our study.The prevalence of SM in the preceding six months was 83.59% CI 95% [79.99%; 86.77%].Being sixth/seventh year student was significantly associated with SM practice (ORa = 2.121; IC 95%: 1.084 -4.148; p = 0.028).Commonly used drugs were paracetamol (94.5%), antibiotics (50.5%), and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (50.0%).Pain (81.9%), fever (75.7%) and headaches (69.4%) were the main symptoms for which students turned to SM. Drug store (81.4%) and unused drugs at home (59.9%) were the main sources of drugs.Conclusion: The practice of SM was highly prevalent among Moroccan medical students, especially among senior students.This highlights the need for targeted educational interventions and stricter government regulation of the sale of over-the-counter medicines, especially antibiotics.