Practice of self medication among slum-dwellers.

A cross sectional study including 110 households covering 630 individuals was carried out in an urban slum community to study the prevalence of practice of self medication by house to house survey. Self medication was practiced by 34.55% respondents and prevalent among all the age groups. Allopathic drugs were commonly used (78.95%). Economic inability in utilizing established medical facilities was the commonest reason for self medication (60.53%). The practice was more prevalent amongst literate but lower soci-economic class.