Assessment of rational drug use features of university students

Method: The study was carried out with 563 students studying at Artvin Çoruh University in the 2014-2015 academic year using a form of socio-demographic properties and rational drug use survey.
Findings: 47.1% of the students store their drugs at home in the fridge, while 65% of the drugs which must be stored in the fridge are stored on the refrigerator door. 29.7% of the students buy drugs with the idea that it can be necessary, while the rate of the students who use drugs with the suggestion of the people around them is 25%, the rate of the students who suggest drugs to their relatives and friends with similar health complaints as theirs is 36.4%. The rate of the students who use the drugs suggested by the doctor until the end of the duration suggested by the doctor is 37.3%. 44.6% of the students supply painkillers from the pharmacy with a prescription, 33.6% from the pharmacy without prescription, 14.4% from their neighbours or acquaintances, and 7.5% from groceries or markets. A significant part of them (48.5%) stated that they buy drugs from pharmacies without being examined. In addition to this, 34.1% of the students do not check whether it is the right medicine when they buy drugs with a prescription. Furthermore, 52.8% state that they would not accept equivalent drugs suggested by the pharmacist when supplying drugs.
Consequence: It was concluded that significant mistakes are being made regarding the intake, use, and storage of the drugs.