The usage pattern of patients' drug information leaflet for oral non-prescription drugs among university students in the United Arab Emirates: cross-sectional study.

The prevalence of drug usage pattern in this population was 57.5% as 1348 subjects reported using NPD during the past 90 days before conducting the study. We have identified four risk factors for not reading the DIL, those who get the drug information from physicians or pharmacists, medical students, those respondents who believe that NPDs were as effective as prescription drugs, and respondents self-treating a single symptom with more than one NPD. It was evident from the findings that usage pattern of NPD for DIL varied among the students, with no specific pattern dominating.