Prevalence of Self-Medication among the Elderly in Gorgan, North of Iran

  Self-medication is a major global health problem. Regarding this issue, the elderly are one of the most vulnerable groups in the community. The aim of this study was to determine prevalence and pattern of self-medication among the elderly in Gorgan, Iran. This cross-sectional study was carried out on 550 elderly residents of Gorgan in winter of 2017. Data were collected using a questionnaire consisting of 14 questions on demographic variables and medication use. The collected data were analyzed with SPSS (version 18) using Pearson’s correlation coefficient and the chi-square test. The overall prevalence of self-medication was 76.2% among the elderly people. Self-medication was more frequent in women (82.2%), married elderly (78.2%), and those with low education level (81.3%). Moreover, the most common reasons of self-medication were common cold and cough (48%) and headache (38.9%). Analgesics (67.1%) and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (58.5%) were the most frequently used drugs for self-medication. Main derivers of self-medication were previous experience with the medication (63.7%) and the high cost of doctor's visit (54.5%). In addition, the most important sources of information about self-medication were previous prescription notes (53.2%) and previous experience with the condition (31%). Furthermore, we found a significant correlation between self-medication and some demographic variables including gender, marital status and education level (P<0.05). We demonstrated that the prevalence of self-medication, especially with analgesics and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, is high among the elderly people in Gorgan, Iran. This highlights the need for preventive measures, including training programs and restriction on access to certain medications in this area.