Pattern of Pharmacological Habits among Medical Students – a cross sectional study

Previous studies indicate that medical students exhibit the highest levels of stress among academic populations. However, few studies have analyzed overall drug use in this group, including self-medication and illicit drug consumption. The aim of this study was to characterize the drug consumption patterns of medical students at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra (FMUC). A cross-sectional study was conducted with FMUC medical students between September 2023 and April 2024 using an online questionnaire. Sociodemographic and health data were collected to characterize the medication consumption patterns and identify predictors. A total of 791 valid responses were obtained. The average age was 21.0 ± 2.8 years, with 74.2% women. Approximately 80.3% of students reside in Coimbra, and 75.7% do not live with their family during the academic period. Regarding health status, 83.9% rated it as "excellent/very good" or "good," while 14.5% described it as "adequate" and 1.5% as "poor." Half of the students (48.7%) reported moderate daily stress, and 44.1% reported high stress. Ninety-two percent of students consumed medication in the last year, with 88.6% engaging in self-medication. Drug consumption was higher in women (93.5%, p=0.001) and was directly associated with daily stress. The most commonly used drug groups were anti-inflammatories (23.6%), analgesics (21.5%), and antihistamines (17.2%). Drug consumption by medical students is significant, with a notable increase in consumption, particularly antidepressants and anxiolytics, was observed after the COVID-19 pandemic. This study highlights the critical importance of raising awareness among students, universities, and healthcare agencies regarding pharmacological habits.