Guwahati, Nov 17: For Surangana Goswami, reaching for a pill has slowly become second nature. What started as an occasional shortcut; something to tackle a cold, acidity, or a sudden fever, has settled into a monthly routine of two to three bouts of self-treatment.
Painkillers, antacids, paracetamol, nausea tablets and, sometimes, even antibiotics now sit within easy reach, guided by a mix of pharmacist advice and online dosage checks.
Her pattern is far from isolated. It’s a behaviour doctors in the city say they’re encountering with growing frequency – individuals treating symptoms on the fly, bolstered by a quick internet search or a well-meant suggestion from family and friends.
The ready availability of medical information, and misinformation, has created a perception that these familiar medicines are harmless to use without professional oversight.
But each of these seemingly small decisions, made for convenience, confidence, or to avoid consultation costs, is feeding into a wider, more worrying trend.
Across Guwahati, more people are quietly choosing self-medication over a doctor’s visit, trusting their smartphones and neighbourhood pharmacies over clinical advice. And experts warn this rising confidence is steadily shaping into an under-recognised public health threat.
Deputy Superintendent of the State Cancer Institute, Guwahati, Dr Kamal Kishore Chakraborty, says the problem has multiplied dramatically in the past decade.
“Earlier, people didn’t have the internet on their phones. When smartphones arrived, people grew more curious,” he said.What many once viewed as a harmless way to learn about their health has slowly turned into a bypass; a way to avoid doctor visits increasingly seen as cumbersome.
Representataional image of Internet user surfing through online medicine shopping app
“Everyone prefers getting information from the comfort of their homes instead of travelling, sitting, and waiting for doctors,” he said.
But Dr Chakraborty warns that treating the human body like a household gadget is a dangerous analogy.
“When people try to repair appliances on their own, they often make them irreparable. You need technicians. Similarly, diagnosing illness and prescribing medicines is the work of experts,” he said, adding, “If we try to treat ourselves based on our judgment or online information, it will definitely cause accidents.”
According to Dr Chakraborty, hypertension has become so common that “almost every household has one family member” dealing with it.
A simple Google search shows dozens of medicines, but he warns that blood pressure should never be the sole parameter for selecting a drug.
“When an elderly person has high blood pressure, their organs, be it the kidney, liver or heart, are often weak. A doctor checks everything before choosing a medicine. Every pressure tablet has side-effects. The internet can’t do this,” he said.
Painkillers, one of the most misused medicines, bring their own dangers. “Most painkillers pass through the kidneys. If a person has diabetes or weak kidneys, they can cause serious damage,” he said.
He recounts frequent cases where self-medication triggered complications, especially in diarrhoea and gastric illnesses.
“Some medicines give instant relief but their secondary effects bring patients to hospitals. I have even seen surgeries due to complications from self-medication.”
Assistant pharmacist Monturam Barman of Pragati Medicare sees the problem unfolding every day.
“Sixty percent of customers ask for medicines without a prescription,” he said.
Pharmacies near hospitals receive more prescription-based requests, but others see a steady demand for fever medicines, painkillers, gastric tablets, and remedies for headaches and loose motion.
Many people, he said, treat these illnesses at home and avoid spending money at clinics. But the trend has worsened after the pandemic, when people spent months indoors and grew dependent on online health content.
Some customers, he added, even ask for strong sleeping pills, Corex cough syrups, or antibiotic injections; medicines requiring strict prescription and monitoring.
Medicines stocked up in a pharmacy (Photo: AT)
“We never provide those. Even if someone brings a prescription, we verify its authenticity,” he said, citing concerns around substance abuse and misuse.
Barman believes pharmacies operate largely on moral responsibility.
“There should be rules and regulations on selling medicines without prescription,” he said, adding, “A medicine that suits one person may not suit another. Physiology differs.”
Surangana admits the practice isn’t without consequences. On one occasion, taking medicine on her own delayed recovery.
“Whenever that happens, I immediately go to a doctor,” she said. She also acknowledges that online videos and social media sometimes influence people into trying treatments without fully understanding the risks.
Her concerns, however, are moderated by caution. She reads labels, seeks dosage guidance and stores old prescriptions to reuse for familiar symptoms. But she also recognises that not everyone around her is as careful.
“The pharmacists should refuse medicines when people seem unsure and NGOs should help raise awareness,” she said, offering solutions she believes could reduce the risks.
Dr Chakraborty’s warning lands hard. “Some medicines may not show immediate side-effects but can damage your health slowly,” he said. Then came the stark punchline, “Ironically, one should have a solid bank balance before attempting self-medication, both for treatment and for their family’s survival.”
He highlights that self-medication is not age-dependent but situation-dependent. “Those with heavy responsibilities and no one to look after them; caregivers, single earners, elderly are more vulnerable,” he added.
Dr Chakraborty says that families with a history of cancer or heart diseases often panic after seeing even one symptom online, leading them to take medicines prematurely and dangerously.
“The body always gives signs when it is in trouble. If people ignore those signs because of overconfidence, that’s where accidents occur,” he said.
Both experts agree that while smartphones are powerful tools for learning, they must not become substitutes for medical judgment.
“Use phones to fulfill curiosity, not to treat diseases. Management should rest with experts,” Dr Chakraborty said.
The trend, however, shows little sign of slowing. Cost, convenience and confidence continue to drive thousands toward unsupervised medicine use; even as complications quietly rise beneath the surface.