Abstract
Antibiotic resistance is an increasing problem worldwide. Among contributory factors is increasing easy access to antibiotics which is a trend in developing countries. The objective of this study is to determine the accessibility and use of antibiotics. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in eight community pharmacies in Benin City, Nigeria. A structured questionnaire was used for data collection. Administrative approval was obtained from the superintendent pharmacists, while informed consent was sought from all study participants. The data obtained from the study were analyzed using IBM SPSS version 22. Of the 450 participants in the study, most [329 (73.11%)] had used antibiotics in the last six months before their current visit to the pharmacy, 207 (46%) of them took the antibiotic without laboratory investigation. Many [274 (60.89%)] of the participants had an antibiotic among the medications they got from the pharmacy on their current visit. More than half [289 (64.22%)] of the participants sometimes got antibiotics without prescription. More Pharmacists recommended antibiotics for participants compared to doctors (44.11%: 24.44%), while more than half of the study population (62.89%) got their antibiotics from pharmacies. Many [295 (65.56%)] of the participants think that the country should regulate antibiotic use. This study has shown that community pharmacy is a major outlet where patients source antibiotics sometimes without a prescription, thus denoting that many patients self-medicate with antibiotics. The need for incorporating community pharmacists in developing guidelines for prescribing and using antibiotics is crucial.
Highlights
World Health Organization estimated that about 20–50% of antibiotics used worldwide are either used or prescribed inappropriately (WHO 2001; 2015)
This study has shown that community pharmacy is a major outlet where patients source antibiotics sometimes without a prescription, denoting that many patients self-medicate with antibiotics
When asked if they used antibiotics before their current visit to the pharmacy, many [204(45.33%)] took antibiotics one month before, 207 (46%) of those who took antibiotic did not do any laboratory investigation warranting the use of antibiotic
Summary
World Health Organization estimated that about 20–50% of antibiotics used worldwide are either used or prescribed inappropriately (WHO 2001; 2015). The remarkable effectiveness of antibiotics leads to their widespread usage, and a persistent belief among the general public that antimicrobials are universally efficacious and should be applied in the first instance to virtually all ailments. The belief in the universal applicability of antimicrobials has resulted in their exuberant use and so has applied a widespread, strong, and polarized selective pressure on the microbial world. This has resulted in the increasing rates of antibiotic or antimicrobial resistance (AMR) seen today (Carolyn et al, 2014). Self-medication practices have a major pitfall, which is that users do not follow a prescribed course of drug dosage and usually stop the drug regimen once they are relieved of symptoms of illness (Ayukekbong et al, 2017)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary 
Published Version (
Free)
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call