Self-Medication in Rural Northeastern Romania: Patients' Attitudes and Habits

In recent years, many healthcare systems, along with healthcare professionals, have provided services in a patient-centered manner, in which patients are key actors in the care process. Encouraging self-care creates responsible patients, but it must be practiced responsibly. This study aims to analyze the tendency towards self-medication for patients from a rural area in Northeastern Romania. Data were collected using a questionnaire, which consisted of 25 questions, that has been developed by the research team. Student's test or one-way ANOVA was used, and the reliability of the questionnaire was calculated using Cronbach's alpha coefficient. Fifty-eight patients agreed to participate and were interviewed. The results of the study suggest that respondents practice self-medication, which they resort to when their condition cannot be treated with natural remedies or herbs and when it impairs their ability to do their daily activities. Self-medication could be explained by the lack of self-care services as well as the trust patients have in the specific treatment. Patients prefer asking the pharmacist for drugs instead of visiting a physician, which could be due to higher accessibility and time-efficiency, while also being prone to stock up on certain medications due to limited access to healthcare.