Journal of Pharmacovigilance

Pharmacovigilance Risks and Side Effects of Self-Medication

Mark Driscoll^* Department of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, University of Bath, Bath, UK
^*Correspondence: Mark Driscoll, Department of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, University of Bath, Bath, UK, Email:

Received: 19-Apr-2022, Manuscript No. JP-22-16991; Editor assigned: 22-Apr-2022, Pre QC No. JP-22-16991(PQ); Reviewed: 06-May-2022, QC No. JP-22-16991; Revised: 13-May-2022, Manuscript No. JP-22-16991(R); Published: 20-May-2022, DOI: 10.35248/2329-6887.22.10.371

Description

Self-medication can be defined as obtaining and using a drug for diagnosis, prescribing, or monitoring of treatment without the advice of a physician. Self-medication accounts for about 5%-10% of French drug sales. The most common side effects are neurological (32%: mainly headache, dizziness, restlessness, etc.), dermatological (18%, mainly allergies), liver (10%), digestive system (7%), mainly diarrhea. There were 10 cases of anaphylactic shock and/or quinque edema.

The drugs most frequently involved were analgesics and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, neuropsychotropic drugs, dermatological drugs or otorhinolaryngological drugs. `Serious' side effects occurred in 40% of the cases including 3 deaths. 'Severe' side effects were observed in 77% of the reports. This study shows that the side effects of self-medication are relatively frequent and can be serious. They occurred more often in women than in men, mainly with analgesic and antiinflammatory drugs. These data provide a better balance between the risks and benefits of self-medication.

Self-medication, many of us think it's okay. Going to the doctor can be time consuming and expensive, so we are just taking paracetamol pills or "safe" antibiotics. However, it has side effects and very harmful ones.

The idea of self-medication, even for minor health problems, can lead to complications. People tend to pop pills while popping candies. Drugs such as painkillers, cough syrups, laxatives, antibiotics, anti-allergic agents, vitamins, and even antacids. Also, because it is an (Over-The-Counter) OTC drug, it is easy to obtain. But what we are not aware of is that choosing selfmedication makes us vulnerable to allergies, drug addictions, and even addictions.

Unfortunately, awareness of the disadvantages of self-medication is very low or almost non-existent. Unfortunately, we are still willing to take it randomly, do not even check the composition of the drug, and do not know about the side effects these have on our body.

All medicines have an expiration date that tells people when to use them for maximum efficacy and safety. In the case of selfmedication, a person may be inadvertently ingesting an expired substance, which may reduce the effectiveness of the drug and increase the risk of side effects for the user. Self-medication with expired medications is dangerous and can result in receiving the wrong dose to treat the symptoms.

In more serious cases, some medicines cause a chemical reaction when they expire and can be dangerous when taken. Age-related changes in the chemical composition of a drug can be dangerous and increase the risk of side effects and poor response to other medications we are taking. Before taking any medicine, we should first consult our doctor to make sure the medicine is within a safe date range.

Taking tablets can be an immediate relief, but it is not without side effects. At times, patients may be taking medications prescribed for a variety of health problems, and self-medication can lead to side effects. This is because taking one medicine with another can result in different reactions. This can even lead to death. Self-medication can suppress our symptoms and delay the diagnosis of the underlying condition. Delays in diagnosis and in finding the right treatment can cause serious complications. Therefore, we should consult our doctor.