Health hazards due to self-medication

Health risks due to self-medication: women, in particular, seize medicines on their own initiative

20/03/2011

There is also a pill for every condition. In Germany, drug self-medication is increasing dramatically. The National Association of Pharmacists warns: About ten percent of unauthorized drug therapies are used incorrectly. Under certain circumstances threatened unwanted side effects or consequential damage.

Half of all inquiries in pharmacies are self-medication attempts
It seems that more and more Germans are taking over-the-counter medicines from pharmacies in case of illness. Against this backdrop, the Landesapothekerkammer Baden-Württemberg warns against self-medicated self-medications. Many shy away the way to the doctor or naturopath and prefer to access medicines from the pharmacy. The Chamber estimates that around 10 percent of patients misjudge their health condition and resort to inadequate resources. Especially in children, no independent drug therapies should be undertaken, so the warning of the chamber. According to one study, more than every second (56.8%) patient request in the participating pharmacies was attributable to pharmacopoeial self-medication. In just over two-thirds (69.8 percent) of the inquiries, the customers expressed a product as a means of choice, without seeking direct advice. The remaining patients (30.2 percent) described their symptoms in the pharmacy and asked the pharmacist for a treatment option. In Southern Germany alone, pharmacists prevented around 29,000 attempts at self-medications that are hazardous to health during the course of their studies.

Most common symptoms with self-medication
The most frequent indication areas in the study period (summer 2010) included skin, mucous membranes, wound healing and nails at 17.6 percent. Cough, cold, fever with 16.6 percent; Stomach / intestines, digestion, nausea about 12.2 percent. Headache with 10.1 percent and musculoskeletal pain such as Back pain, at 9.9 percent. It was noticeable that the illnesses were minor health problems. Two-thirds of the inquiries were made by women. The distribution of the age structure of customer inquiries, however, was comparatively homogeneous. Only younger people under the age of 19 were the least represented at 6.5% of the other age groups.

Means of naturopathy
According to experts, natural remedies or homeopathic remedies are often used incorrectly because often the necessary background knowledge is lacking. Overall, the risk is likely to be lower than for conventional medicines, as natural home remedies tend to be gentler on the organism. In order to get an optimal recovery, it is advisable to consult a trained naturopath.

Also read:
Alternatives to antibiotics from naturopathy
Drug side effects increase with age

Picture: Birgit H.