Health: Self -Medication is Quietly Becoming UI's Students Most Dangerous Habit

By Okunade Laylah

In recent times, self medication has become one of the predominant global health crises, with cases recorded both in the developed, and developing countries. However, self medication is higher amongst students compared to the general population.

Various factors have been identified to be responsible for self- medication amongst students. These include the gravity of the illnesses (minor), the urgency of the problem and experience with both the drug and ailment.

Students are not turning to self-medication out of ignorance alone. They are responding to a system that often feels inaccessible. When a trip to Jaja Clinic means long queues, multiple preliminary procedures, and hours of waiting, many students simply opt out. What should be a place of care becomes, for some, a place of delay.

A student treating every headache with paracetamol may ignore underlying causes like stress, dehydration, or fatigue. Another repeatedly using antibiotics for common infections may unknowingly contribute to antimicrobial resistance, a growing global crisis. What begins as a quick fix can spiral into long-term health complications, including organ damage and drug resistance.

According to Adewale O. Afolabi, self-medication is the process by which the patient assumes a greater degree of responsibility for the management of a minor ailment, using a pharmaceutical product that is available without a prescription. Self medication can include the ingestion of herbs, consumption of over-the-counter drugs, and the retention of previously prescribed medication to treat similar symptoms.

Moreover, the evolution of AI and some Virtual Triage Tools has made things easier. People can sit in the comfort of their homes and consult AI rather than going through rigorous processes for what they consider to be "minor" and "familiar.

There is a general perception that self medication is wrong. However, The World Health Organisation maintains it is wrong only when practiced irrationally.

Blaming students alone would be simplistic and unfair. The system that pushes them toward self-care must also be scrutinized. Limited accessibility, overstretched healthcare personnel, and procedural delays all contribute to the problem.

The University of Ibadan should act decisively. Establishing functional clinic units within halls of residence would drastically improve access to immediate care. Streamlining procedures at Jaja Clinic and increasing medical staffing would reduce waiting times.

Self-medication may appear to solve immediate problems, but its long-term consequences are far-reaching. If left unchecked, it will not only endanger individual students but also contribute to broader public health challenges.