Knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding self-medication for acne among medical students in Beni-Suef University

Objectives To evaluate medical students’ knowledge, attitudes, and self-medication practices for acne vulgaris. Methods An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted at Beni-Suef University’s Faculty of Medicine from January 2023 to June 2023. A pre-structured questionnaire was used for the study. Results A total of 297 students (85.1 %) used self-medications for acne without a prescription. The total knowledge score of self-medication among the study participants was 3.81 ± 2.23. About 71.4 % knew about precautions, and 72.7 % of the participants reported that self-medication is part of self-care. There was a statistical significance between the total mean knowledge score and age (p=0.007), gender (p=0.013), and academic year (p=0.001). Conclusions A significant portion of students self-medicate about acne. The total knowledge score of self-medication was to some extent not relatively high. Educational programs can be developed to increase medical students’ awareness of the risks and benefits of self-medication, information on appropriate use of medications, and when to seek medical attention.