PENINGKATAN PENGETAHUAN MASYARAKAT DESA KOTA BANGUN KECAMATAN RANOMEETO KABUPATEN KONAWE SELATAN TENTANG SWAMEDIKASI OBAT

Inappropriate use of drugs in self-medication or self-treatment practices can cause serious health problems. The rational use of drugs is important to ensure the safety and accuracy of treatment in self-medication practices commonly carried out by the community, but often without adequate understanding of the dosage, indications, and side effects of drugs. The purpose of this activity was to increase the knowledge of the Kota Bangun Village community regarding self-medication through direct education using posters and leaflets, as well as pre-test and post-test evaluations. A total of 53 respondents participated in this activity. The results showed an increase in the average pretest score from 61.7% to 92.7% on the posttest. These findings indicate that community-based education with a personal approach and print media is effective in improving public health literacy. Similar activities are recommended to be implemented on an ongoing basis to strengthen the community's ability to use drugs safely and responsibly and prevent the risk of drug abuse