Evaluation of Antibiotic Self-medication Pattern Amongst Undergraduate Pharmacy Students

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Background: Antibiotic self-medication contributes substantially to antimicrobial resistance and remains common in settings where antibiotics are readily accessible without prescription.

Objective: This study assessed the prevalence and patterns of antibiotic self-medication among undergraduate pharmacy students at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Nigeria.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 254 undergraduate students in the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences between March and April 2023. Participants were selected using simple random sampling. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire assessing sociodemographic characteristics, knowledge and awareness of antibiotic use, and self-medication practices. Descriptive statistics were used to summarise the data as frequencies and percentages.

Results: Overall, 89.6% of respondents reported self-medicating with antibiotics, despite demonstrating substantial theoretical knowledge of appropriate antibiotic use. More than half of final-year students believed that antibiotics could be purchased online. Ciprofloxacin and amoxicillin were the most frequently used antibiotics, primarily for perceived skin, gastrointestinal, and respiratory infections. Knowledge of medicines (57.0%) and previous experience with similar symptoms (45.5%) were the principal reasons for self-medication. Notably, 26.4% of respondents reported using antibiotics for menstrual symptoms, indicating inappropriate use for conditions unlikely to require antibacterial therapy.

Conclusion: Antibiotic self-medication was highly prevalent among pharmacy undergraduates, revealing a marked gap between knowledge and practice. Educational interventions should address specific misconceptions but are unlikely to be sufficient alone. Behavioural and antimicrobial-stewardship interventions are also needed to reduce overconfidence in self-diagnosis, discourage antibiotic use for non-bacterial conditions, and strengthen professional responsibility among future pharmacists within universities and the wider healthcare system in Nigeria