7 dangers of using medications without a prescription and some tips to avoid self-medication

In 2021, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported that self-medication It causes the death of 700,000 people globally every year due to antimicrobial resistance. At that time, this worrying figure put the Peruvian Ministry of Health (Minsa) on alert because the use of medicines without prescription It is a frequent practice in our country.

Since then, the Minsa has carried out various campaigns with the aim of raising awareness among the population regarding the risks of self-medication because, paradoxically, instead of helping to improve health, it can be the cause of its deterioration.

The use of medicines without prescription It can cause anything from intoxication to dependence and even death. That is why it is important to know the dangers of self-medication as well as promoting responsible health care among Peruvians.

The self-medication It is defined by the WHO as the selection and use of medicines by people to treat self-recognized illnesses or symptoms. This activity is carried out without the supervision of a medical professional in the indication, dosage, duration of treatment, or in the explanation of the precautions and warnings to consider.

In other words, self-medication involves taking or applying medicinesherbs or home remedies on your own initiative or on the advice of another person, without consulting a health professional who diagnoses the disease, extends the medical prescriptionbetter known as prescriptionand monitor the treatment.

The prescription is a note written by a doctor indicating the medicine that should be provided to a patient, as well as the rules for its correct administration.

The self-medication of drugs sold with prescription carries the following health risks:

1. Intoxications in patients.
2. Serious side effects, or even death.
3. In the case of antimicrobials, it generates resistance, which limits therapeutic options for the treatment of infections. Resistance to antimicrobials, which are medicines used to prevent and treat infections, is one of the main causes of death from self-medication when they are used improperly or excessively.
4. Drug abuse or dependence.
5. Hide or mask a more serious health problem or the aggravation of said ailment.
6. Negatively affects the function of others medicines prescribed by a doctor for another condition, such as diabetes or hypertension.
7. Antibiotic resistance.

Given the importance of adopting certain habits related to the responsible use of medicinesthe Social Health Insurance of Peru (EsSalud) proposes simple actions to reduce the propensity to self-medication:

• Take medicines only if they have been prescribed by a health professional and in the indicated dosage.
• In the case of pregnant women, nursing mothers, children, people with chronic diseases and older adults, consult your doctor before taking a medicine.
• Advise to go to a health professional with any request for a drug recommendation.
• Do not follow the treatment indicated to family or friends, even if they have had the same symptoms.
• Ask your pharmacist for advice before purchasing advertised drugs.
• Buy them medicines in authorized pharmacies, or online on legal websites.
• Talk openly with family, friends and neighbors about the consequences of self-medication.
• Consult your doctor or pharmacist before taking drugs that do not require a prescription.
• Understand that only a health professional can prescribe, not a family member or friend.
• Recognize that the medicines They have components that can generate complications due to misuse, which is why it is key to consume them responsibly and under the guidance of a medical specialist.