Abstract
This study aimed to evaluate self-medication with antibiotics in the general Indian population. A cross-sectional community-based online survey was conducted for a period of 4 months from March 2018 to June 2018 by using Google Forms for data collection. The questionnaire for this study was composed of four sections aimed at investigating antibiotic self-medication practices. The data were analyzed and processed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences, version 24. The majority (62.3%) of the respondents were male. More than half (53.75%) were aged between 18 and 24 years. The most common reason for self-medication with antibiotics was disease considered not serious for a physician consultation (66.3%). Azithromycin (67.9%) and amoxicillin (64.8%) were the most commonly used antibiotics. Fever (76.8%), common flu and cough (70.8%), and disorders associated with teeth (dental pain, 42.3%) were the most common symptoms. The sources for self-medication with antibiotics were previous physician prescriptions (72.6%) and pharmacist advice (72%). In the study population, self-medication with antibiotics was practiced mainly to treat minor illnesses for which these drugs may not be required. The selection of antibiotics by the participants was subjective. Hence, health authorities need to increase public awareness about medication use as well as formulate strict regulations regarding the availability of these medicines at pharmacy stores to limit irrational use.