SELF-MEDICATION PATTERN OF ANTIBIOTICS AMONG THE PEOPLE OF IMPHAL WEST DISTRICT OF MANIPUR, INDIA

Background and aim: Self-medication with antibiotics is one of the growing issues in developing countries. Irrational use of antibiotics leads to development of resistance. Antibiotic resistance is a growing threat in management of infectious disease which leads to morbidity and mortality. Our study is to assess the self-medication pattern of antibiotic among the people of Imphal West district of Manipur. Materials and methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 1980 randomly selected people from populations of Manipur during September 2020. Data was collected using modified pre-structured questionnaire. Using SPSS software version 21, descriptive data analysis was done and expressed in frequencies and percentages. Result: In the study, female participants were more than male participants and majority were from the age group 18-30 years, educated and low-income group. Azithromycin was the most commonly used antibiotics followed by amoxicillin and clavulanic acid combination. Majority of them obtained the antibiotics from local pharmacies and was mainly recommended by the pharmacists. Only 16.92% of them faced mild adverse reaction. Around 65.04% of the participant considered that self-medication with antibiotics is not a safe practice. Conclusion: This study showed that antibiotics were easily accessible and many people were not aware about the antibiotic usage and risk of developing its resistance in Imphal West. Higher authorities need to enlighten the public about the rational use of antibiotics and the dangerous effects of self-medication to overcome the antibiotic resistance.