STUDY REGARDING THE PARENTS’ USE OF SELF – MEDICATION
AMONG CHILDREN UNDER 12 YEARS OLD
CARMEN CRISTESCU 1#, SIMONA NEGREȘ 2#, MARIA SUCIU 1, ADRIAN VOICU 3, VALENTINA BUDA 1, LIANA SUCIU 1, MARIA PROKS 1, MIRELA VOICU 1*
1“Victor Babes” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmacology-Clinical Pharmacy,
Timişoara, Romania
2“Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmacology-Clinical Pharmacy,
Bucharest, Romania
3“Victor Babes” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Functional Sciences, Timişoara,
Romania
*corresponding author: voicu.mirela@umft.ro
#Authors with equal contribution
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Abstract:
The practice of self-medication in paediatrics is a phenomenon with increasing incidence, despite the fact that the FDA (Food
and Drug Administration) published, in 2011, a number of recommendations and restrictions on the OTC (over the counter)
medication administered in children under 12 years old. The objective of the study was to identify the prevalence of selfmedication
carried out by parents in their under 12 years old children and to evaluate the associated determinants. We
conducted a retrospective study (from 1 February to 30 April 2016) based on a questionnaire targeting parents with children
under 12 years old, who attended three kindergartens and three primary schools, in Timisoara, Romania. There were returned
582 questionnaires, of which 564 could be analysed (96.91%). Mothers between 30 and 39 years old with university studies
have most frequently resorted to self-medication (71.27%), by going to the family medicines kit (83.61%). Fever, pain and
cough were the most common symptoms for which parents used self-medication, the most frequently used drugs were:
antipyretic analgesics (92.74%), antitussives/expectorants (83.84%), vitamins and nutritional supplements (49.14%), nasal
decongestants (40.14%). Homeopathic remedies were quoted by 31.84% of parents. The main sources of information for the
parents were the doctor, the pharmacist and the patient information leaflet of the drug. The study reveals an increased
prevalence of self-medication in children under 12 years old (81.02%), even with drugs outside the paediatric guidelines.






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