Susceptibility to Potentially Harmful Self-Medication: The Place of M-Health Apps in Ensuring Well Being

Abstract

The ubiquity of mobile technologies has engendered opportunities related to the utilization of mobile health technology applications which offer health solutions.  Such health care areas where mobile technologies are applicable include: disease management; medication adherence; safety monitoring; health information and wellness. m-Health technologies are used by patients, caregivers, and clinicians to improve health care management and enhance communication and information transfer between and among patients and medical personnel. The practice of self medication in a developing economy like Nigeria poses a great health challenge. The idea of self-medication implies the use of any medicine for the treatment of ailments without a physician’s prescription. Self-medication in Nigeria has reached a crisis situation such that Nigerians, especially, youths, take anything; even potentially toxic substances, as remedies for ailments. This paper was an attempt to establish a critical health issue and suggest the place of mobile health technologies in tackling the issue. We suggested the idea of the E-medication App – a mobile app technology which when considered, conceived and developed could arm mobile app subscribers with a tool enabling them to ask questions in the virtual sense using the E-medication App installed on their mobile phones and receive expert diagnosis and drug prescription.

Keywords: Mobile technologies, m-Health App, Self medication, E-medication