{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,21]],"date-time":"2026-07-21T06:05:04Z","timestamp":1784613904650,"version":"3.55.0"},"reference-count":44,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,21]],"date-time":"2026-07-21T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1784592000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Pharmacol."],"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Background and Aim<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Drug utilization worldwide is often associated with practicing self-medication of prescription or non-prescription drugs. Irresponsible behaviors in this field can lead to a variety of health risks. Assessing the extent of self-medication in population contributes to guiding decisions on future interventions to improve it. This study aimed to investigate self-medication patterns and attitudes of adult urban inhabitants in Croatian cities Zagreb and Rijeka.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>A cross-sectional study was conducted from April to May 2025 in urban community pharmacies involving 402 adult customers who filled out the questionnaire on their self-medication behaviors and attitudes, adverse events related to self-medication, and practices of storing medications at home. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics. The Chi-square test was used to estimate association between sociodemographic features and self-medication practices.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Most commonly self-medicated drugs were analgesics-antipyretics by 94.2% participants. Antimicrobials were self-medicated in 29.4% of cases, and anxiolytics in 24.0%. Higher educational levels were associated with stronger inclination to self-medicate in general (p = 0.034). Most commonly, respondents acquired over-the counter drugs for self-medication in pharmacies (75.3%). Women bought over-the-counter drugs and reported adverse drug reactions more frequently (p = 0.033 and p = 0.037, respectively). 77.5% of participants kept drugs in a designated area (home pharmacy), and 24% of participants could not estimate if drugs they kept at home were potentially toxic.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>The prevalence of reported self-medication was rather high, even with prescription drugs such as antibiotics and anxiolytics. Educational activities and practical interventions should be implemented to increase the awareness of potential risks of inappropriate self-medication and to strengthen responsible behavior in this aspect with family physicians and community pharmacists having the key role in the process.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fphar.2026.1864658","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,21]],"date-time":"2026-07-21T05:35:03Z","timestamp":1784612103000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Attitudes and behaviors concerning self-medication practices among adult urban population in Croatia: a cross-sectional study"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"17","author":[{"given":"Vedrana","family":"Aljinovi\u0107-Vu\u010di\u0107","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Medicine, University of Rijeka","place":["Rijeka, Croatia"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Marin","family":"Vu\u010di\u0107","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Medicine, University of Zagreb","place":["Zagreb, Croatia"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Renata","family":"Juri\u0161i\u0107 Grube\u0161i\u0107","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Medicine, University of Rijeka","place":["Rijeka, Croatia"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,21]]},"reference":[{"key":"B1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"352","DOI":"10.1186\/s12913-022-07704-0","article-title":"A cross-sectional survey: knowledge, attitudes, and practices of self-medication in medical and pharmacy students","volume":"22","author":"Alduraibi","year":"2022","journal-title":"BMC Health Serv. Res."},{"key":"B2","first-page":"74","article-title":"Content of home pharmacies and self-medication practices in households of pharmacy and medical students in Zagreb, Croatia: findings in 2001 with a reference to 1977","volume":"46","author":"Aljinovi\u0107-Vu\u010di\u0107","year":"2005","journal-title":"Croat. Med. J."},{"key":"B3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"247","DOI":"10.3325\/cmj.2025.66.247","article-title":"Self-medication practices and the content of home pharmacies in the households of pharmacy and medical students in Zagreb, Croatia, in 2022 with a reference to the findings from 2001 and 1977","volume":"66","author":"Aljinovi\u0107-Vu\u010di\u0107","year":"2025","journal-title":"Croat. Med. J."},{"key":"B4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"20420986221143265","DOI":"10.1177\/20420986221143265","article-title":"A survey on self-medication for the prevention or treatment of COVID-19 and distrust in healthcare of veterans in a primary care setting in the United States","volume":"13","author":"Amenta","year":"2022","journal-title":"Ther. Adv. Drug Saf."},{"key":"B5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"629","DOI":"10.1016\/S0140-6736(21)02724-0","article-title":"Global burden of bacterial antimicrobial resistance in 2019: a systematic analysis","volume":"399","year":"2022","journal-title":"Lancet"},{"key":"B6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"3057","DOI":"10.2147\/PPA.S434030","article-title":"Antibiotic self-medication patterns and associated factors in the context of COVID-19, medell\u00edn, Colombia: a survey based cross sectional study","volume":"17","author":"Arboleda Forero","year":"2023","journal-title":"Patient prefer. adherence."},{"key":"B7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1070","DOI":"10.3390\/antibiotics13111070","article-title":"Understanding the determinants influencing self-medication with antibiotics among Malaysian residents: a qualitative study to inform preventive public health strategies","volume":"13","author":"Aslam","year":"2024","journal-title":"Antibiot. (Basel)"},{"key":"B8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"195","DOI":"10.1186\/s12888-025-06660-3","article-title":"Is self-medication a barrier to seeking help: exploring psychiatrists' and psychiatry residents' knowledge and attitudes about self-medication in T\u00fcrkiye","volume":"25","author":"A\u015fut","year":"2025","journal-title":"BMC Psychiatry"},{"key":"B9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"56","DOI":"10.3855\/jidc.10574","article-title":"Knowledge, attitude, behaviour of the future healthcare professionals towards the self-medication practice with antibiotics","volume":"13","author":"Benameur","year":"2019","journal-title":"J. Infect. Dev. Ctries."},{"key":"B10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"100257","DOI":"10.1016\/j.rcsop.2023.100257","article-title":"Self-care and self-medication as central components of healthcare in Germany - on the way to evidence-based pharmacy","volume":"9","author":"Bertsche","year":"2023","journal-title":"Explor. Res. Clin. Soc. Pharm."},{"key":"B11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"53","DOI":"10.3390\/nursrep15020053","article-title":"Self-medication practice and associated factors among health professionals in Spain","volume":"15","author":"Cotobal-Calvo","year":"2025","journal-title":"Nurs. Rep."},{"key":"B12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"294","DOI":"10.1590\/S0102-67202014000400016","article-title":"Acute liver failure and self-medication","volume":"27","author":"de Oliveira","year":"2014","journal-title":"Arq. Bras. Cir. Dig."},{"key":"B13","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"599","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1365-2125.2009.03477.x","article-title":"Self-medication among children and adolescents in Germany: results of the national health survey for children and adolescents (KiGGS)","volume":"68","author":"Du","year":"2009","journal-title":"Br. J. Clin. Pharmacol."},{"key":"B14","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"294","DOI":"10.5694\/j.1326-5377.2010.tb03911.x","article-title":"Serious morbidity associated with misuse of over-the-counter codeine-ibuprofen analgesics: a series of 27 cases","volume":"193","author":"Frei","year":"2010","journal-title":"Med. J. Aust."},{"key":"B15","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1498","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph18041498","article-title":"Self-medication of drugs in nursing students from Castile and Leon (spain)","volume":"18","author":"Gal\u00e1n Andr\u00e9s","year":"2021","journal-title":"Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health."},{"key":"B16","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1074559","DOI":"10.3389\/fpubh.2022.1074559","article-title":"Self-medication in Chinese residents and the related factors of whether or not they would take suggestions from medical staff as an important consideration during self-medication","volume":"10","author":"Ge","year":"2022","journal-title":"Front. Public Health"},{"key":"B17","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e291","DOI":"10.1542\/peds.2013-1107","article-title":"Association of maternal self-medication and over-the-counter analgesics for children","volume":"133","author":"Jensen","year":"2014","journal-title":"Pediatrics"},{"key":"B18","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"925","DOI":"10.1186\/s12879-024-09876-y","article-title":"Assessment of factors associated with self-medication practices during the COVID-19 pandemic in Southwestern Ethiopia: a community-based cross-sectional survey","volume":"24","author":"Jifar","year":"2024","journal-title":"BMC Infect. Dis."},{"key":"B19","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"698","DOI":"10.1177\/00912174251327927","article-title":"Self-prescription of opioids, sedative-hypnotics, and other psychotropic medications among physicians in South Korea","volume":"60","author":"Kim","year":"2025","journal-title":"Int. J. Psychiatry Med."},{"key":"B20","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1416","DOI":"10.1590\/1806-9282.20220430","article-title":"Self-medication practices with conventional and herbal drugs among ear, nose, and throat patients","volume":"68","author":"K\u0131ro\u011flu","year":"2022","journal-title":"Rev. Assoc. Med. Bras."},{"key":"B21","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1413811","DOI":"10.3389\/fphar.2024.1413811","article-title":"Self-medication of adults and children in Poland - results from outpatient health care physicians online questionnaire","volume":"15","author":"K\u0142oda","year":"2024","journal-title":"Front. Pharmacol."},{"key":"B22","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e1983","DOI":"10.1002\/hsr2.1983","article-title":"The prevalence and causes of self-medication among medical university students in Iran during COVID-19 outbreak and its implications for public health and health systems: a cross-sectional study","volume":"7","author":"Kokabisaghi","year":"2024","journal-title":"Health Sci. Rep."},{"key":"B23","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"68","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph15010068","article-title":"Self-medication practice and associated factors among residents in wuhan, China","volume":"15","author":"Lei","year":"2018","journal-title":"Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health."},{"key":"B24","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"8344","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph17228344","article-title":"Self-medication-related behaviors and Poland's COVID-19 lockdown","volume":"17","author":"Makowska","year":"2020","journal-title":"Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health."},{"key":"B25","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"64","DOI":"10.1111\/jspn.12141","article-title":"Parental administration of over-the-counter medication to Spanish children: a population-based national study","volume":"21","author":"Mart\u00edn-P\u00e9rez","year":"2016","journal-title":"J. Spec. Pediatr. Nurs."},{"key":"B26","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e22299","DOI":"10.1016\/j.heliyon.2023.e22299","article-title":"Factors associated with the use of medicines and self-medication during the COVID-19 pandemic in 12 Latin American countries","volume":"10","author":"Mejia","year":"2023","journal-title":"Heliyon"},{"key":"B27","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"19","DOI":"10.2147\/DHPS.S290662","article-title":"Self-medication practice and associated factors among health care professionals at debre markos comprehensive specialized hospital, northwest Ethiopia. Drug healthc","volume":"13","author":"Mohammed","year":"2021","journal-title":"Patient Saf."},{"key":"B28","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"110","DOI":"10.1177\/14782715221103701","article-title":"Too much of a good thing: a case series of rare yet pertinent causes of hypercalcaemia and acute kidney injury","volume":"52","author":"Munir","year":"2022","journal-title":"J. R. Coll. Physicians Edinb."},{"key":"B29","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"481","DOI":"10.3390\/antibiotics12030481","article-title":"Knowledge, attitude and practices of self-medication including antibiotics among health care professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic in Pakistan: findings and implications","volume":"12","author":"Mustafa","year":"2023","journal-title":"Antibiot. (Basel)"},{"key":"B30","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1502074","DOI":"10.3389\/fpubh.2024.1502074","article-title":"Prevalence and determinants of self-medication consumption of antibiotics in adults in Iran: a population based cross-sectional study, 2019-2020","volume":"12","author":"Nazari","year":"2024","journal-title":"Front. Public Health"},{"key":"B31","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"77","DOI":"10.1136\/archdischild-2013-304902","article-title":"Paracetamol-associated acute liver failure in Australian and New Zealand children: high rate of medication errors","volume":"100","author":"Rajanayagam","year":"2015","journal-title":"Arch. Dis. Child."},{"key":"B32","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"315","DOI":"10.2174\/157488610792245966","article-title":"Risks of self-medication practices","volume":"5","author":"Ruiz","year":"2010","journal-title":"Curr. Drug Saf."},{"key":"B33","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"225","DOI":"10.1007\/s40264-014-0141-3","article-title":"Self-medication with over-the-counter and prescribed drugs causing adverse-drug-reaction-related hospital admissions: results of a prospective, long-term multi-centre study","volume":"37","author":"Schmiedl","year":"2014","journal-title":"Drug Saf."},{"key":"B34","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"85","DOI":"10.1097\/MCG.0000000000000378","article-title":"Risk factors, clinical presentation, and outcomes in overdose with acetaminophen alone or with combination products: results from the acute liver failure study group","volume":"50","author":"Serper","year":"2016","journal-title":"J. Clin. Gastroenterol."},{"key":"B35","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"312","DOI":"10.3390\/medicina56060312","article-title":"Patterns and factors associated with self-medication among the pediatric population in Romania","volume":"56","author":"Tarciuc","year":"2020","journal-title":"Med. Kaunas."},{"key":"B36","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"166","DOI":"10.1016\/j.healthpol.2005.07.001","article-title":"Self-medication with antibiotics--does it really happen in Europe?","volume":"77","author":"V\u00e4\u00e4n\u00e4nen","year":"2006","journal-title":"Health Policy"},{"key":"B37","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"687","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph15040687","article-title":"Keeping antibiotics at home promotes self-medication with antibiotics among Chinese university students","volume":"15","author":"Wang","year":"2018","journal-title":"Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health."},{"key":"B38","unstructured":"Guidelines for the regulatory assessment of medicinal products for use in self-medication\n          \n          \n          2000"},{"key":"B39","unstructured":"Self-care for health\n          \n          \n          2013"},{"key":"B40","article-title":"Antimicrobial resistance","volume-title":"Antimicrobial Resistance","year":"2023"},{"key":"B41","volume-title":"WMA Statement on self-medication \u2013 WMA \u2013 the World Medical Association","year":"2022"},{"key":"B42","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"786","DOI":"10.1007\/s11096-020-00984-8","article-title":"Drug-related problems and pharmacy interventions in non-prescription medication, with a focus on high-risk over-the-counter medications","volume":"42","author":"Yl\u00e4-Rautio","year":"2020","journal-title":"Int. J. Clin. Pharm."},{"key":"B43","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"232","DOI":"10.3390\/antibiotics10030232","article-title":"Self-medication with antibiotics for protection against COVID-19: the role of psychological distress, knowledge of, and experiences with antibiotics","volume":"10","author":"Zhang","year":"2021","journal-title":"Antibiot. (Basel)"},{"key":"B44","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2066","DOI":"10.1186\/s12889-024-19453-2","article-title":"Patterns of self-medication and intention to seek pharmacist guidance among older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic in Macao: a cross-sectional study","volume":"24","author":"Zheng","year":"2024","journal-title":"BMC Public Health"}],"container-title":["Frontiers in Pharmacology"],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fphar.2026.1864658\/full","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,21]],"date-time":"2026-07-21T05:35:05Z","timestamp":1784612105000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fphar.2026.1864658\/full"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,21]]},"references-count":44,"alternative-id":["10.3389\/fphar.2026.1864658"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/fphar.2026.1864658","relation":{},"ISSN":["1663-9812"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1663-9812","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,21]]},"article-number":"1864658"}}