Perfil socioeconômico da automedicação em Teresina Socioeconomic profile of self-medication in Teresina. Perfil socioeconómico de la automedicación en Teresina

The objective was to evaluate the practice of self-medication in two samples from Teresina, which have different demographic and socioeconomic characteristics, addressing aspects of pharmacovigilance and Study of the Use of Medicines. This is an epidemiological study that evaluated selfmedication in two areas of Teresina, residents in the neighborhood Plateau Uruguay (Group 01: social classes C and D) and the Jockey Club neighborhood (Group 02: social classes A and B) through transversal population-based study. It was found that the overall consumption of drugs is more frequent among women (67.8% and 55.8% group 01 group 02). As to age and self-medication, this work shows that the range of 20 to 50 years old is the largest practitioner of self-medication in Brazil, regardless of gender and economic conditions. Among those who practiced self, in group 01, 26.2% have health insurance and for the group 02, 65.2%. The per capita income in group 01, with a prevalence of self-medication, is up to half the minimum wage (52.4%) and the group 02 is 1.6 the most minimum wages (64.1%). The most common pharmacological class, in both groups, is of analgesics, followed by anti-inflammatory drugs, and the main reason is the pain complaints. This research showed interesting nuances of selfmedication, where some suffer sociodemographic influences, while in others, independent of these factors. In addition, we observed how common and banal is the act of self-medication in Brazil due to the cultural aspects and standards. Descriptors: Self-medication. Pharmacoepidemiology. Drugs of Special Control