Antibiotics use without Prescription in the Kingdom of Bahrain
Keywords:
Over the counter antibiotics, antibiotic misuse, antibiotic, community pharmacy, antibiotic resistanceAbstract
Introduction: An increasing phenomenon of over-the-counter anti-bacterial drug usage has been reported in several studies within the literature worldwide. Similarly, multiple recent studies conducted in the middle east and Arabian gulf countries have also reported a dramatic increase in over-the-counter antibiotics usage. This misuse of antibiotics and lack of practical constraints is alarming as it is one of the main consequences of the emergence of multi-drug resistant strains associated with high morbidity and mortality.
Objective: This study aims to describe the prevalence, awareness and reasons for self-prescribing antibiotics within the Kingdom of Bahrain.
Material and Methods: Cross-sectional study was conducted through the general population attending primary healthcare within 24 primary healthcare centers in the Kingdom of Bahrain. Respondents were randomly selected using a multistage clustered random sampling technique. Data were entered into SPSS software and analyzed.
Results: A total of 640 participants filled out the survey form. Most participants were females (59.2%), and 76.6% were aged between 28-39 years old. 49.7% of the population consumed antibiotics without a prescription over the last year, and 76.1% consumed them at least 1-3 times a year. The most common complaints associated with self-prescription were upper respiratory tract infection and fever, 27% and 24%, respectively.
Conclusion and Recommendations: A significantly high prevalence of over-the-counter antibiotics usage was noted based on this study, which is an alarming phenomenon that needs to be addressed urgently to prevent any further undesirable complications in the future. Moreover, strict and dedicated measures on personal and public levels must be taken urgently to limit this phenomenon.
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