How should the health system react to informal drug dispensaries? The case of self-medication in Yogyakarta Province

Background The government seeks to build a healthy community through quality, generic drugs that are available, accessible and affordable. On the other hand, self-medication among different community segments has grown in popularity. In this paper, we want to argue that if the government fail to regulate and to supervise informal drug dispensaries, the community particularly the poor is more likely to gain harmful effects through the practice of self-medication and the use of unregulated informal drug stores. This study aims to: determine the pattern of self-medication in the province of Yogyakarta, identify the type of drug dispensaries that self-medication users seek in their communities, and to evaluate the effectiveness of ministry of health’s regulations and supervisions on drug dispensaries.