Olajumoke Kemi Ekundayo¹ , Kayode Olawale Akande¹, Isaac Iseoluwa Ajayi¹

Department of Biological Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Bamidele Olumilua University, Ikere-Ekiti, Nigeria;

For correspondence:-  Olajumoke Ekundayo   Email: ekundayo.olajumoke@bouesti.edu.ng

Received: 5 April 2025        Accepted: 12 September 2025        Published: 30 September 2025

Citation: Ekundayo OK, Akande KO, Ajayi II. Pattern of antibiotic use and the influence of unregistered medicine sellers on students and staff of School of Life Sciences, Bamidele Olumilua University, Ikere-Ekiti, Nigeria. Trop J Pharm Res 2025; 24(9):1177-1183 doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/tjpr.v24i9.10

© 2025 The authors.
This is an Open Access article that uses a funding model which does not charge readers or their institutions for access and distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0) and the Budapest Open Access Initiative (http://www.budapestopenaccessinitiative.org/read), which permit unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly credited..

Abstract

Purpose: To investigate the consequences of patronizing unlicensed and unregistered medicine sellers, focusing on the risks associated with self-medication, the rise of drug-resistant strains of diseases, and the socioeconomic impacts of this issue. Method: This survey was a descriptive, cross-sectional study of 491 people aged 10 – 50 years, randomly selected from the School of Life Sciences. A predesigned Google form was circulated for data collection. The study was conducted from 1st March to 31st May 2023. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics (frequencies and percentages) and inferential statistics (Chi-square test) to examine associations between categorical variables. Result: A survey involving 491 participants revealed that 211 (44.8 %) of respondents reported obtaining medications from chemists, while 191 (40.6 %) sought medical advice from a doctor when feeling unwell. The findings highlight a concerning prevalence of self-medication, with many individuals acknowledging that they acquire medications without prescriptions. Furthermore, 131 (27.8 %) participants experienced negative outcomes from their dealings with Unlicensed and unregistered medicine sellers, emphasizing the lack of professional guidance in medication dispensing. These results point to an urgent need for regulatory measures to oversee the activities of unregistered medicine sellers and promote safe medication practices. Conclusion: There is widespread reliance on unlicensed medicine sellers, reflecting a troubling trend of self-medication among the population. These practices increase the risk of adverse drug reactions and treatment failures and also contribute to the emergence of drug-resistant diseases. There is therefore a need for stricter regulation of informal drug markets, improved access to qualified healthcare providers, and intensified public health education to promote responsible medication use and safeguard public health.

Keywords: Unlicensed medicine sellers, Chemist, Students, Staff, Self-medication

Impact Factor
Thompson Reuters (ISI): 0.6 (2023)
H-5 index (Google Scholar): 49 (2023)