Self-treatment or over the counter drugs. is use of medication without consulting a physician either for diagnosis, prescription, or surveillance of treatment.
The most widely self-medicated substances are over-the-counter drugs used to treat common health issues at home. It involves obtaining medication without prescription and taking medicines on advice of and from friends and relatives.
Is self -medication illegal or at least an incorrect method of treatment?
Hi, self medication in my opinion is not illegal and not entirely incorrect method of treatment. It has both advantages and disadvantages.
Some of the disadvantages stem from the consumer's inadequate knowledge of drug interactions (if polypharmacy) and diagnosing medical condition correctly. For simple ailments and within label use, I believe this reduces the burden on healthcare professionals and offer quicker resolution.
From drug safety/Pharmacovigilance perspective, off label use leading to adverse drug reactions are reported to regulatory authorities within specified timeline following awareness by market authorisation holder or stakeholders.
I hope this helps a little.
Self-medication is not illegal. There are some medicines called 'OTC' can be taken without consulting a physicians. Although self-medication practice reduce burden on heathcare system in resource poor country, sometimes causes more harm than usefulness. Patient education on self-medication is needed.
Self medication with over-the-counter (OTC) is neither illegal nor irrational. OTC drugs and their indications/use have regulatory approval. However, self medication with prescription drugs or their off label use without doctor's advice is illegal, therapeutically incorrect and needs to be discouraged.
Dear all,
I think over-the-counter (OTC) drugs should be limited to persons who can use them correctly. For example, education level may be considered.
Not all drugs are self medicated and the problems of using of drug it self
A safe drug in this moment may be announced harmful in next yeas after more researches!
There are two components of this question.
1. Is self medication illegal?-- Its a yes as well as no.
2. Is treating with OTC drug illegal? -- Its a no.
Explanation:
Every country has their own drug schedules. Accordingly, drugs falling in OTC category may vary. In any instance, if a drug has been labelled OTC in a country, it is always legal to self medicate yourself with the OTC drug. However, there are multiple potential drug interactions that the person might get exposed to. So, if a person is under some regular medications, I would recommend him/her to consult a medical person before starting a OTC drug.
If a person decides to self medicate himself/herself with a prescription drug, its always illegal. It is implicated with problems like antimicrobial resistance, drug abuse, addiction, therapeutic failure, life threatening complications as well.
If you wish to know more about the drug scheduling, here is a link to a presentation that you can always refer to.
https://www.slideshare.net/docpravin/prescription-drugs-amp-over-the-counter-drugs-2017
Hope my comments were informative!
In Mexico, my country, the self-medication of drugs such as acetaminophen, naproxen, aspirin, cough medicines, antiacids such as ranitidine, and many others is very widespread and completely legal. Given the enormous deficiencies of the public and private health system, self-medication of common symptoms has no other way of solving for a large part of the Mexican population. The sale of antibiotics without a medical prescription is illegal, but this does not greatly reduce the self-medication of antimicrobials due to a marked lack of control of private medicine and corruption of pharmacies that sell directly to retail.
Many people don not know about over the counter drugs and use it without thinking. This problem should be noted and controlled. The best way is education.
If you legally attain the perscriton and you are the one using it then it is not illigal.
Only medical staff have the right to prescribe medicine based on their authority and expertise, and any self-medication should be prohibited because a medicine that has given good results one time may be dangerous the next time.
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