Prevalence of self-medication in kidney transplant patients: a single-center cross-sectional study

Abstract

Self-medication among kidney transplant patients may pose a risk to the graft. This study examined the prevalence of self-medication in patients who had undergone kidney transplantation. These patients, receiving immunosuppressive therapy, are informed during post-transplant therapeutic education about the risks associated with drug interactions. This prospective single-center study, including 66 patients, shows that 80.3% of participants reported self-medicating one month after hospital discharge, with 18.2% engaging in practices deemed “risky”. Self-medication mainly involved analgesics, including non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), sleeping pills, and treatments for heartburn, such as proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) and antacids. The results show that neither age, sex, education level, nor employment status were significantly associated with risky self-medication. However, the high prevalence of this practice highlights the need for increased patient awareness of potential dangers, particularly those related to NSAIDs and drug interactions. PPIs, often used for heartburn, carry interaction risks, especially with tacrolimus, and prolonged use may lead to kidney complications. Herbal medicine, also used by some patients, may present interaction risks with immunosuppressants. The study suggests strengthening patient therapeutic education (PTE) by emphasizing the risks of inappropriate self-medication and proposes safe alternatives, such as antacids, or seeking medical consultation. These results, based on self-reported data, may underestimate the true prevalence of self-medication. The study recommends continuous vigilance and further research to assess these practices over the long term.