KNOWLEDGE OF PRACTICE AND DANGERS OF SELF MEDICATIONAMONG UNDERGRADUATES OF UNIVERSITY OF BENIN

This study was undertaken to determine the knowledge of practice and dangers of self-medication among undergraduates of University of Benin". This study adopted the descriptive survey research design. The population of the studycomprised of the entire forty-one thousand, one hundred and ninety six (41,196)undergraduates of the University of Benin, while the sample population used were451respondents. The instrument used is a questionnaire validated by the project supervisorand two other experts in the department of Health, Safety and Environmental Educationin the University of Benin. The Pearson Product Moment correlation was usedtoestablish the reliability of the instrument. Three research questions were raisedfor thepurpose of the study. The findings revealed that the practice of Self-medication among undergraduatesofUniversity of Benin is high. The dangers of self-medication as perceivedbyundergraduates of University of Benin includes; negative drug interaction, incorrect diagnosis, incorrect treatment of ailments and antibiotic resistance. UndergraduatesofUniversity of Benin engage in self-medication because of lack of awareness about drugadministration, difficulty in accessing healthcare facilities, ease of obtaining over thecounter drugs, financial constraints and time constraints. From the research findings, thefollowing recommendations were made; students should seek advice froma healthcareprofessional in cases of serious or persistent symptoms to ensure accurate diagnosis andappropriate treatment, organizing health education programs within the school will raiseawareness about the risks associated with self-medication and promote responsiblehealthcare practices and the school should invest in healthcare infrastructures as this will improve accessibility and quality of healthcare services