AIR-CLINIC: SELF MEDICATIONS; ITS DANGERS AND SOCIAL CONSEQUENCES

Self medication is quackery and an unacceptable medical practice. Drugs and medicine which human beings use to treat their ailments are a combination of chemicals some of which are clearly poisonous and harmful if administered carelessly. It amounts to suicidal action and self-destruction to swallow such chemicals in the name of medicine without proper knowledge and guidance.

I know about an elderly woman above 60 years of age who was experiencing a running stomach and the son out of concern received a hasty prescription and bought a set of capsules (that resembled Tamycin capsules) for resolving the problem. Quickly the woman gulped down the capsules on empty stomach. Instead of bringing a cure for diarrhea, the medicine ended up destroying the lining of the stomach cavity and causing ulcer that lingers till today; an authentic medicine was wrongly administered to the detriment of the innocent patient. If a trained medical practitioner was consulted from the onset the painful predicament could have been averted and proper treatment received. Self-medications is truly dangerous.

As an aberrant human behaviour, self-medication can be as infectious as pneumonia and common cold. People verbally lure others into this cankerworm which can ruin an unsuspecting society.

World Health Organization (WHO) in her Sudan Journal of Rational use of medicine (issue No.6, January 2014) describes self-medication as ‘the use of medication without prior medical consultation regarding indication, dosage and duration of treatment. Self-medication is rampant because it seems to be the cheapest first option in treatment of common ailments.’

Self medication has been noted to expose people to increased out-of pocket expenses in the long run due to adverse health effects that emanate from it. Irrational medicine use, delayed seeking of medical advice, increased side effects and drug interactions are confirmed dangerous outcomes of self-medication. Furthermore, medical experts complain that self-medication lure people into the ugly error of using sub therapeutic doses of medicine.

“A stitch in time saves nine” wise people say. The earlier mankind drops this hurtful behavior that is becoming widespread, the better for us.