Revue Medicale Suisse
Volume 3, Issue 127, 2007, Pages 2239-2243

Self-medication amongst illegal Latino-American immigrants: Necessary or inapropriate [Automédication chez les sans-papiers latino-américains: Entre le nécessaire et l'inapproprié] (Review)

Besson M.* , Desmeules J. , Wolff H. , Gaspoz J.-M.
  • a Service de Médecine de Premier Recours, HUG, 1211 Genève 14, Switzerland
  • b Service de Pharmacologie et Toxicologie Cliniques, HUG, 1211 Genève 14, Switzerland
  • c Service de Médecine de Premier Recours, HUG, 1211 Genève 14, Switzerland
  • d Service de Médecine de Premier Recours, HUG, 1211 Genève 14, Switzerland

Abstract

Self-medication is well known risk in Latin America. This situation can partly be explain by the difficult access to doctors and poorly regulated drug sales. Illegal Latino-American immigrants import their practice of self-medication and their drugs with them. The economic advantage of this practice makes it popular and confronts medical practitioners to question the benefice/risk of such behavior. Taking the particular situation of illegal Latino-American immigrants, this review discusses the necessity of abording systematically the question of self-medication during a medical consultation.

Author Keywords

[No Keywords available]

Index Keywords

South and Central America Latin America human Health Behavior health service medical practice Hispanic Americans Humans treatment indication consultation Emigrants and Immigrants risk factor Review self medication non prescription drug health care system Transients and Migrants illegal immigrant health practitioner Switzerland
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-35548973103&partnerID=40&md5=8f0f4d525bb104d70b61f41d1c208e0d
ISSN: 16609379
Cited by: 3
Original Language: French