A large number of people, when they fall sick, do not consult a physician. They either consult a chemist and obtain a medicine from his shelf, or may consult a neighbor who may have some tablets left over from his previous illness, and readily spares them. There are three ways to avoid or minimize the dangers of self- medication. Firstly, the lay person should be educated about the dangers of indiscriminate use of drugs. Secondly, the physicians should be more judicious in and must insist on drugs being supplied by the chemist only on a valid Thirdly, a proper statutory"Drug Control" must be implemented, restricting the availability of drugs to the public. These measures would definitely reduce the incidence of drug-related mishaps, and help in maintaining health of the individual and society.