7 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 Firsty, the lay person should be educated about the dangers of indiscriminate use of drugs Secondly, the physicians should be more judicious in prescribing, and must insist on drugs being supplied by the chemist only on a valid prescription. Thirdly, a proper statutory Drug Control must be implemented rationally restricting the availability of drugs to the public. These measures would defintely reduce the incidence of dnug-related mishaps, and help in maintaining good health of the individual and society.