Non-prescription acquisition of antibiotics: Prevalence, motives, pathways and explanatory factors in the Swedish population.

ABSTRACT: Prior studies indicate prevalence of unregulated non-prescription use of antibiotics also in the northern European countries. The aim of this study is to investigate the extent to which antibiotics are acquired without prescription in Sweden, and people's attitudes and motives linked to this practice. We use data from an online survey of a representative sample of the Swedish general population which included questions about respondents' antibiotic use, attitudes towards antibiotics, health care contacts, self-rated health and trust in health care. We also asked about their reason for obtaining/not obtaining antibiotics without a prescription. The results show that, in the last five years, 2,3% of the respondents had acquired antibiotics in other ways than from a Swedish physician having i

SUBMITTER: Munthe C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9491542 | biostudies-literature | 2022

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature