ills of self-medication: a threat to healthy living

A common practice in Nigeria is for individuals to walk into a pharmacy store or chemist and lay complaints of their ill health. You may wonder why they would prefer to walk into a pharmacy store to complain of their ailments to a pharmacist or unskilled technicians employed to dispense drugs over the counter. I believe that is majorly because the patients believe they are cutting costs by bypassing an encounter with a doctor, and this is majorly because of limited financial resources. I have had a couple of patients that have called me over the phone to consult with the excuse of being delayed at the hospital or not being properly attended to. Generally, I try to avoid over-the-phone consultations or consultations by proxy.

Probably because of limited financial resources in the devastating and unfavorable financial crisis of the public, wrongful consultations with unprofessionals and even the internet have resulted in the wrong usage of medications. It is countless the experiences I have had with patients who have abused over-the-counter drugs by self-medication. For adults, my scolding is much less compared to parents who practice self-medication for their children. In 2018, while I worked at a children's specialist hospital as a clinician, a parent presented with at least eleven (11) over-the-counter medications she had given her child of less than 5 years with no significant improvement. My question to the parent was, 'How would you feel if you had to take this number of medications for whatever reason?'. It is common knowledge that most mothers are unqualified nurses to their children. They often have some medications in their homes that they can easily access for self-medication for their children. The practice remains: have paracetamol at home as a first aid, and immediately after usage, find one's way to the hospital.

We may have encountered some physicians who prescribe just a few drugs or none at all for medical conditions of concern. We realize it is not easy to swallow drugs, and also, when individuals eat and rest well, the body tends to naturally revert to its true state of good health. However, let's take a ride at some implications and complications of self-medication.

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Drug resistance: This is majorly the trouble health professionals face when patients present with drug resistance which could be as a result of wrongful usage of drugs such as fake drugs, under dosed medications or using the wrong antibiotics for an organism. Each of the factors mentioned is crucial to the development of drug resistance. Most people who engage in self-medication hardly complete dosages of drugs being used. At some times, drugs used are empirical and may not actually be what is best for the target organisms. My nephew fell victim recently after being treated in a distant village with penicillin ointment and drugs for a fractured lower third femoral bone, and upon carrying out a wound swab microscope, culture, and sensitivity, it was found that tigecycline worked for one of the isolated organisms.

Increased cost of healthcare: Engaging in self-medications may look cheap at the onset, but truth be told, it could be expensive in the long run. First, there is a high chance of returning to the drug dispenser to complain that symptoms do not abate or resolve, and rather than conduct investigations, most of them would ask you to buy another set of medications. Also, for those that end up with drug resistance, the few drugs they become sensitive to are often expensive, and just like my nephew, an ampoule of tigecycline went for ₦55,000.

Wasted resources: you will agree with me that some ailments do not need drugs, and lifestyle modification may just be the answer. Unfortunately, patients would not get the luxury of such counsels at those pharmacy stores or chemist outlets, as they are primarily out to make profits rather than seek the health of the patient.


Organ damage: self-medication has the potential to damage body organs and worst hit are the livers and kidneys. The complications could be immediate or long term; direct or indirect. Unfortunately, many patients may not be aware of the side effects from such side effects of self medications as accurate dosage may not be used.

These and many more could be the complications and implications of self-medications. I had a throbbing headache sometime last year, and I had to consult with a neurologist. I was diagnosed with a tension headache, and when I began to use the prescribed drugs, the symptoms abated; however, I was not compliant, majorly because of the sleeping side effects of the drug.

But, maybe permissible as a medic, I have a few drugs in my custody that range from antimalarial to antibiotic, which serve as quick medications when the need arises.

Thank you for reading. I hope to have your comments and contributions.