Background:
The purpose of this study is to determine the drug-use habits in North Cyprus and to prepare a demographic study of drug wastage.

Material and methods:
A total of 450 questionnaires containing 36 questions were handed out in 5 major cities of North Cyprus. Participants’ pharmaceutical consumption habits and basic knowledge on rational use were compared according to their education level and cities.

Results:
People in Cyprus are using leftover medications in case of a need (63.1%). Most of the participants get their medication with prescriptions (43.5%) and also pay attention to expiry dates when buying (80.6%). The reason behind the leftover medication is the end of the illness or treatment, which is the biggest problem observed. The second-highest leftover group is antibiotics (17.5%). According to the comparison of data between education levels and cities, rational drug use is statistically low for lower education levels (P = 0.002) and the Guzelyurt region (P = 0.002).

Conclusions:
Guzelyurt is the city requiring the most education. Rational drug use is directly proportional to education level. Health care professionals should be warned about the problems, and patient education should be provided.