Prevalence and Influencing Factors of Self-Medication during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Case Study of academic personals from Lahore

Healthcare systems were significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, which encouraged extensive use of self-medication techniques. Self-medication is the use of medicines to treat self-recognized illness or symptoms without the doctor’s prescription. The goal of this study was to fill up the knowledge gap and to determine the prevalence and influencing aspects of self-medication during the COVID-19 and offer suggestions to encourage safe and responsible medication practices, the sorts of drugs that are often used, and the motivations for self-medication during the pandemic in Lahore. 100 respondents in Lahore including students and faculties from different universities with different academic backgrounds were surveyed through simple random sampling using a structured questionnaire which was shared via social media. Using the right statistical techniques, qualitative data gathered from the surveys was examined. Descriptive statistics and inferential techniques, such as chi-square tests, were used to evaluate the data. The findings showed that bodily aches/pains and fever were the most often self-medicated symptoms. The most popular medications for self-medication were painkillers. The main factors that led people to choose self-medication were the accessibility of healthcare services and fear of contracting COVID-19 in healthcare settings. Although the internet and social media were often used to research options for self-medication. Some responders reported negative side effects and consequences from self-medication. In conclusion, this study advances our knowledge of Lahore's COVID-19 pandemic's self-medication practices. The results also highlight the significance of encouraging appropriate self-medication behaviors and making sure that people have access to trustworthy information to protect the public's health in times of medical crisis. These findings may be used by policymakers, healthcare professionals, and public health authorities to create specialized treatments and educational programs that will encourage community members to self-medicate safely and intelligently.