Self-medication under uncertainty: Insights on drug quality and consumer behavior in Burkina Faso

Fadima Bocoum, Renate Hartwig, Moumouni Koala, Lena Merkel and Salfo Ouedraogo

No 1110, Ruhr Economic Papers from RWI - Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, Ruhr-University Bochum, TU Dortmund University, University of Duisburg-Essen

Abstract: Do consumers change their self-medication practices when drug quality changes? We present experimental evidence on this question in the context of Burkina Faso, where self-medication with antibiotics is a prevalent practise. We conduct chemical quality testing of antibiotics and find that one in three products on the market is substandard or counterfeit, exposing consumers to significant risk and uncertainty. Survey data and experiments show that consumers are aware of the risk posed by substandard antibiotics. However, they are not sufficiently able to judge quality based on visual cues and market information. Our experimental data suggest that self-medication increases as drug quality becomes more certain. The results suggest that measures to improve drug quality in the market might be accompanied by increased self-medication.

Keywords: Antibiotics; decision-making; health care; uncertainty; Burkina Faso (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D11 D81 I12 I15 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-exp
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:zbw:rwirep:306840

DOI: 10.4419/96973288

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