Automedicação entre acadêmicos de farmácia durante a pandemia da COVID-19

Abstract

Self-medication is an important health problem and is a practice that is not restricted to a specific age group. This article aimed to investigate, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the practice of self-medication among academics of the Pharmacy course and to investigate their demand for a pharmacist. This is a descriptive, observational, and cross-sectional epidemiological study applied to Pharmacy students in Barra do Garças, Mato Grosso. The sample corresponded to 47.2% (67) of academics from the private institution and 52.1% (74) from the public network. It was observed that 46% of the interviewees used some medication during the pandemic, and 44% used it without having the diagnosis of the disease, corroborating what was observed during the pandemic, the search for medication to treat and/or prevent the disease. COVID-19. The most used drugs were vitamin C, vitamin D, ivermectin and azithromycin. As for the use of alternative remedies, such as teas, 56.8% of the participants did not use such alternatives. Although 85% of respondents were aware of the functions performed by the pharmacist, only 32.6% sought pharmaceutical guidance in the pandemic. A worrying situation since the pharmacist is a health professional accessible to the population and the only one capable of providing qualified pharmaceutical care. It was concluded that self-medication was a frequent practice among students of the pharmacy course and that the demand for pharmaceutical guidance was low. Thus, there is a need to intensify the importance of the pharmacist and the rational use of medicines among university students.