Self-Medication in Romania: An Analysis through the Lens of the Health Belief Model
Self-Medication in Romania: An Analysis through the Lens of the Health Belief Model

Summary/Abstract: The Health Belief Model (or the model regarding health beliefs) is a theoretical framework used to understand health-related behaviours at the individual level. The model provides direction regarding the behaviour and reactions of the individual when his or her health is at risk and was developed in the 1950s by the psycho-sociologist Irwin Rosenstock, with the aim of explaining and making predictions about health-related behaviours, specifically, preventing diseases or following a medical treatment. The model is based on the idea that people make decisions about their own health- related behaviours based on their perceptions. Thus, the threat of an imminent disease or the benefits of preventing it ( or preventing its risk) often or not end up being associated with preventive actions. Self-medication in Romania is practiced by the general population, who often end up using medicines without a prescription, generally based on their own knowledge, advice from others, or information from various sources, such as the internet or pharmacies. This is a fairly widespread practice in m any countries, including Romania, and includes a wide range of treatments, from painkillers and anti- inflammatories to antibiotics or dietary supplements. In Romania, certain medicines can be purchased without a prescription, such as painkillers (e.g. paracetamol, ibuprofen) or cold and flu medicines. Certain antibiotics can also be sold without a prescription, although the law requires them to be available only with a prescription.

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