Practices of self medication in the COVID 19 pandemic era in three cities of Western Algeria

Introduction-Faced with the COVID-19 pandemic, and in the absence of an effective andsafe treatment,many drugs were used without medical advice.This study aimed to evaluate thepractices of dispensing non-prescription drugs in three cities in western Algeria. Materials and methods- The study was carried out during the pandemic from January 01st, 2022 to March 31st, 2022 using a questionnaire distributed to community pharmacists practicing in Tiaret, Sidi Bel-Abbes and El-Bayadh. The main endpoint was the evaluation ofself-medication practices. Data entry, statistical analysis and editing of results were performed using SPSS software version 20. Results- In total, 90 pharmacies participated in the study, the majority of pharmacy staff (98.89%) having perceived that the pandemic amplified self-medication, the various symptomsof COVID-19 were the main cause (44.53%) of the tendency to this practice. Paracetamol (83.67%) was the most consumed, followed by azithromycin (36.73%), prednisolone (31.10%),amoxicillin_clavulanic acid (30.53%), zinc (27.38%), vitamin C (27.08 %), vitamin D(16.31%), magnesium(12.92%),and even hydroxychloroquine(25.56%). Conclusion- Abuse and misuse of several drugs have been observed, efforts must be made to reduce the risk of self-medication by actively involving pharmacists in therapeutic patient education.