Abstract
Background. Community pharmacists are key healthcare professionals for antimicrobial stewardship programs owing to their role in dispensing of antimicrobials. The aim of the present study was to assess the perception and practices of community pharmacists towards antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) in Ethiopia. Methods. A cross-sectional survey was conducted by selecting pharmacy sites through stratified simple random sampling technique. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data. Results. Majority of respondents strongly agreed or agreed that AMS program is vital for the improvement of patient care. Almost all of respondents agreed that pharmacists can play a prominent role in AMS and infection prevention (93.2%, median = 5; IQR = 2–5). However, only 26.5% of respondents strongly agreed or agreed that AMS should be practiced at community pharmacy level (median = 4, IQR = 1–3) and more than half of community pharmacists (59.9%) often/always dispense antimicrobial without a prescription. Conclusion. The present study revealed positive perceptions and practices of community pharmacists towards antimicrobial stewardship. Yet, some weak areas like integration of AMS program in community pharmacies, the significance of interprofessional involvement, and dispensing of antimicrobials without a valid prescription still need improvement.
Highlights
The emergence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), which is thought to be the main cause of morbidity and mortality from otherwise treatable infections, is largely attributed to the use, overuse, or misuse of antimicrobials [1]
Majority of respondents agreed that antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) program is vital for the improvement of patient care (86.3%, median = 5; interquartile range (IQR) = 2–5) and that pharmacists can play a prominent role in AMS and infection prevention (93.2%, median = 5; IQR = 2–5)
Majority of community pharmacists agreed that AMS program is vital for the improvement of patient care
Summary
The emergence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), which is thought to be the main cause of morbidity and mortality from otherwise treatable infections, is largely attributed to the use, overuse, or misuse of antimicrobials [1]. Community pharmacists are often regarded as key healthcare providers for AMS programs owing to their role in dispensing of antimicrobials [7]. They bring their exclusive knowledge of pharmacokinetic, pharmacodynamic, and pharmacoeconomic principles to antimicrobial therapy, which improves patients’ health outcomes [8, 9]. Community pharmacists are key healthcare professionals for antimicrobial stewardship programs owing to their role in dispensing of antimicrobials. Only 26.5% of respondents strongly agreed or agreed that AMS should be practiced at community pharmacy level (median = 4, IQR = 1–3) and more than half of community pharmacists (59.9%) often/always dispense antimicrobial without a prescription. Some weak areas like integration of AMS program in community pharmacies, the significance of interprofessional involvement, and dispensing of antimicrobials without a valid prescription still need improvement
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