Prevalence and predictors of self-medication drugs to prevent or treat
COVID-19: experience from a Middle Eastern country
Abstract
Background Lack of definitive cure for COVID-19 and the late
introduction of a vaccine were responsible to push the general public to
look for a remedy to treat or prevent COVID-19. The objective of this
study was to evaluate patterns and factors that affect self-medication
practices in Jordan during the pandemic. Methods This was a
cross-sectional study using an online questionnaire that was developed,
piloted and distributed to the general public via various social media
platforms. The questionnaire assessed the type of drugs and treatments
used to self -medicate, the reasons behind their self- medication, and
the factors affecting their practices. Results A total of 1179
participants (females 46.4%) with a mean age of 32 (SD=12.5) completed
the questionnaire. The overall prevalence of the use of at least one
product to treat or prevent COVID-19 was 80.4 %. The most commonly used
products to self-medicate were vitamin C (57.6%), followed by
paracetamol (51.9%), zinc (44.8%) and vitamin D (32.5%). Female
gender (odds ratio [OR]) = 1.603, working in the medical field (OR
=1.697), and history of COVID-19 infection (OR =2.026) were variables
associated with self-medication. The most common sources of
participants’ information about drugs to prevent or treat COVID-19 were
newspapers (n=519, 44.0%), followed by pharmacists (43.4%), friends
(33.8%) and internet searching such as Google (30.7%). Conclusion This
study identified the main drugs and supplements used during COVID-19 and
the motives behind their use. It also identified the most influential
source of information on the public during the pandemic. Self-medication
can lead to worsening of the patient’s health and delay seeking medical
advice from healthcare professionals. Efforts should be done to help
mitigate risks of self-medications by active involvement of pharmacists
and other members of healthcare team to refute false claims about drug,
especially in the media.