ABSTRACT
It has become usual practice to treat mild illnesses in children at home. When it comes to young children, such as those under the age of five, self-medication is widespread and a serious problem. The study seeks to understand how parents view children self-medicating for colds and coughs. The design of the research method is scoping review using the PRISMA-ScR checklist Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) critical appraisal tool, with a PEOs framework, using three databases from PubMed, NCBI, and ResearchGate. Inclusion criteria are original English articles that can be accessed between 2018 and 2022. From 384 papers, we found eight that are pertinent to our study goals. The findings indicated that most parents have a reasonable understanding of and perception of self-medication activities. The idea that self-medication can treat colds and coughs is a significant motivator for this practice. The majority of responders thought self-medication was just as effective as prescribed drugs and was more time- and money-efficient. The conclusion is that most respondents thought self-medication was equally effective to prescription medication, cheaper, and time-saving. To prevent its impending or widespread adverse effects, it is advised that responsible self-medication practice be advocated for during the formal training of these future health professionals.
