Self-medication profile in the elderly in Barretos/ São Paulo/ Brazil

Abstract

Self-medication is the consumption of non-prescription medicines, where the patient decides which drug to use. This practice can cause damage to health or mask symptoms of serious diseases. Medicines turned into important elements and powerful tools in the recovery and maintenance of health and quality of life; however, there are risks associated with their use that can be minimized by investing in drug utilization studies. The elderly consume more medications than other age groups, being susceptible to irrational use of therapeutic drugs. The aim of this study was to identify the determinants associated with the practice of self-medication in the 60-year-old or older population in the city of Barretos. The study was conducted out in the urban zone of the city and the questionnaires were handed out in a sample population of 122 individuals aged 60 years or more. Data were processed and analyzed using percentage. Of the total (122 patients), 11,48% reported use of only prescribed medications and 88,52% consume no prescribed medications. It was observed in the group that used medicines without medical prescription, the drugs used most often were analgesics and antipyretics (76,23%). Among the reasons they gave for self-medication, headache was the most frequent one (66,69%), followed by fever (61,48%). These findings suggest that there is out of the control in drugs purchase by the elderly in this region, favoring the occurrence of harmful consequences of self-medication.