Background: Self-medication is a therapeutic mode consisting of taking medications without a medical prescription. In Burkina Faso in 2016, self-medication among patients with oral diseases was 30.4%. Self- medication, in addition to modifying the dermatological lesions and delaying the diagnosis, can be a source of cutaneous adverse drug reactions (toxidermia).
Objective: To investigate the determinants of self-medication among dermatology-venereology patients in Ouagadougou.
Methods: This was a cross-sectional study over 6 months from March to September 2021 in 3 dermatology departments in the city of Ouagadougou. Patients who practiced self-medication, and consented were included.
Results: The prevalence of self-medication was 15.6%. The reasons for self-medication include advice or influence of family and friends (54%), chronicity or recurrence of the disease (28.8%), the mystical or cultural nature of the disease (10.8%), and lack of financial resources (6.4%). Among the products used were traditional products and practices (42.8%), medicines sold in pharmacies (22%), "street medicines" (3.6%), cosmetics (4.8%), and a combination of several practices in 26.8% of respondents. Among the medicines sold in pharmacies were antibiotics (23.4%), non-opioid analgesics (16.8%) and antifungals (15.8%), antihistamines (10.4%), anti-inflammatories (9.5%), antiparasitic medicines (7.4%), anti-acne medicines (4.2%), antiseptics (3.1%), and a combination of medicines (9.4%). List I (non-prescription) medicines accounted for 81%. For traditional products, Khaya senegalensis (11.9%), Tamarindus indica (8.9%), and Azadirachta indica (5.9%) were the most used.
Conclusion: Self-medication was common among Dermatology patients in Ouagadougou. Traditional products were the main drug and advice from family and friends is the main source of motivation for this practice.

Self-medication, drug of the list I, Khaya senegalensis, Tamarindus indica