Abstract
This study is aimed to investigate the understanding of antibiotic use and antibiotic resistance and its correlate factors among final-year medical and pharmacy students at International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM). This was a cross-sectional study. The study instrument was developed by extensive literature search and was subjected to face validity and content validity to medical and pharmacy academics. A pilot study was conducted to ascertain the reliability coefficient. Data was entered to SPSS version 17 and descriptive and inferential statistics were applied. A total of 123 questionnaires were included in the study. Out of 123 respondents, 58.5% (n = 72) were final-year medical students, while 41.5% (n = 51) were final-year pharmacy students. The majority of the respondents showed adequate knowledge regarding the course contents related to antibiotics (n = 116; 94.3%). Almost all the respondents correctly reported the difference between bactericidal and bacteriostatic antibiotics. Only 15.4% (n = 19) and 27.6% (n = 34) of students were able to recognize Streptococcus pyogenes as non-pencillin resistant bacterium and Enterococcus as vancomycin-resistant bacterium, respectively. The students showed good understanding regarding antibiotic resistance. In comparison to medical students, pharmacy students showed better understanding and more adequate knowledge, as the mean value for each domain was slightly higher for pharmacy students. Extensively improving the curriculum and educating healthcare professionals, especially physicians and pharmacists, right from the time of their educational training can inculcate a moral responsibility toward the judicious use of antibiotics, which can serve to eradicate antibiotic resistance.
Highlights
This study is aimed to investigate the understanding of antibiotic use and antibiotic resistance and its correlate factors among final-year medical and pharmacy students at International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM)
Factors such as patients’ demands, doctors’ personal experiences, lack of culture and sensitivity results leading to uncertain diagnosis, sales of antibiotics without prescription, and pharmaceutical promotional tactics are some of the most common contributors towards antibiotic resistance [4,5]
Published research from Malaysia reflected on the need for creating awareness among the general public and hospital doctors about the role of antibiotics in viral infections, the aftermath of self-medication in cough and cold symptoms, and as well as compliance with guidelines on antibiotic use issued by the Ministry of Health, Malaysia [5,7,8]
Summary
This study is aimed to investigate the understanding of antibiotic use and antibiotic resistance and its correlate factors among final-year medical and pharmacy students at International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM). Conclusions: The students showed good understanding regarding antibiotic resistance. The initiation of antibiotic use in the form of indiscriminate prescribing and dispensing has led to an upsurge in the resistance gene in the commensal flora in hospitals, in communities, and in the environment [1]. Imprudent use of antibiotics is a fundamental factor for an upsurge in the prevalence of antimicrobial resistance [2,3]. It is interesting to note that, as Jamshed et al – Antibiotic use and resistance among students per National Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance data, high resistance of Gram-negative bacteria such as Klebsiella spp. Before embarking on any interventions to patients or the public, it is necessary to ascertain the understanding of future healthcare practitioners; this study is an attempt in this regard
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