ASSESSING THE KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDES AND PRACTICES OF PHARMACY STUDENTS AT VINH MEDICAL UNIVERSITY ON SELF-MEDICATION

Abstract

Pharmacy students, as future consultants and medication guides for patients, necessitate an urgent and crucial assessment of their knowledge, attitudes, and practices. This research aimed to evaluate the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of pharmacy students regarding self-medication at Vinh Medical University. A cross-sectional descriptive study design was employed, targeting students from years 1 to 5 specializing in pharmacy at Vinh Medical University in 2024. The study found that 92.7% of students affirmed the need to contact a doctor or pharmacist when experiencing side effects. Training for self-treatment was deemed necessary by 77.9% of students. Female students demonstrated better knowledge (85.4%), while male students exhibited more negative attitudes (66.4%). Within the past 6 months, the highest self-medication practice rate, 29.8%, was observed among 4th-year students. Antipyretics were the most commonly used medications (39.2%). It is concluded that most students possess good knowledge of self-medication, but their attitudes remain negative. Equipping students with comprehensive knowledge will foster more positive attitudes and responsible self-medication practices among pharmacy students.