Dispensing and Purchasing Antibiotics Without Prescription: A Cross-sectional Study Among Pharmacists and Patients in Beirut, Lebanon.

ABSTRACT: Antimicrobial resistance is a global public health issue, exacerbated by dispensing and purchasing antibiotics without a prescription, common in low- and middle-income countries, such as Lebanon. This study aimed to (1) describe behavioral patterns underpinning dispensing and purchasing antibiotics without a prescription among pharmacists and patients, (2) describe reasons for, and (3) attitudes toward these behaviors. A cross-sectional study targeted pharmacists and patients, respectively, identified through stratified random sampling and convenience sampling from all 12 Beirut quarters. Questionnaires assessed behavioral patterns, reasons for, and attitudes toward dispensing and purchasing antibiotics without prescription among the 2 samples. A total of 70 pharmacists and 178 patients we

SUBMITTER: Kakati R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10102940 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jan-Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature