Trial reportPharmacy world & science : PWS2010
Over-the-counter sales of antibiotics from community pharmacies in Abu Dhabi.
Trial report in Pharmacy world & science : PWS, 2010. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 22 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
22 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Interventions to reduce non-prescription antimicrobial sales in community pharmacies.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2025Pooled it
- Non-prescription dispensing of antibiotic agents among community drug retail outlets in Sub-Saharan African countries: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Antimicrobial resistance and infection control · 2021Pooled it
- Assessing the impact of law enforcement to reduce over-the-counter (OTC) sales of antibiotics in low- and middle-income countries; a systematic literature review.BMC health services research · 2019Pooled it
- Expectations Shaped Elsewhere: Refugee Experiences of Healthcare in Aotearoa New Zealand.Health expectations : an international journal of public participation in health care and health policy · 2026Article
- Knowledge and dispensing practice of community pharmacists towards antipsychotic medicines in a Nigerian metropolitan city - a cross-sectional study.BMC health services research · 2023Article
- Physician's Knowledge and Attitudes on Antibiotic Prescribing and Resistance: A Cross-Sectional Study from Hail Region of Saudi Arabia.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Article
- Practices and motives behind antibiotics provision in drug outlets in Tanzania: A qualitative study.PloS one · 2023Article
- Impact of Anthropogenic Activities on the Dissemination of ARGs in the Environment-A Review.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Review
- The role of Schedule H1 and Red Line campaign in improving antibiotic use in India.Journal of family medicine and primary care · 2022Article
- The response to COVID-19 among drug retail outlets in Indonesia: A cross-sectional survey of knowledge, attitudes, and practices.The Lancet regional health. Western Pacific · 2022Article
- A cross-sectional study into medical students' perceptions of healthcare regulation and self-reported compliance: a study conducted in the City of Al Ain, United Arab Emirates, 2016.BMC medical education · 2018Article
- Prospective daily diary study reporting of any and all symptoms in healthy adults in Pakistan: prevalence and response.BMJ open · 2017Article
- Exploration of over the counter sales of antibiotics in community pharmacies of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: pharmacy professionals' perspective.Antimicrobial resistance and infection control · 2016Article
- The Potential Role of Social Media Platforms in Community Awareness of Antibiotic Use in the Gulf Cooperation Council States: Luxury or Necessity?Journal of medical Internet research · 2015Article
- Dispensing of non-prescribed antibiotics in Jordan.Patient preference and adherence · 2015Article
- Public Beliefs about Antibiotics, Infection and Resistance: A Qualitative Study.Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2013Article
- Self-medication and related health complaints among expatriate high school students in the United Arab Emirates.Pharmacy practice · 2013Article
- β-Lactamase production in key gram-negative pathogen isolates from the Arabian Peninsula.Clinical microbiology reviews · 2013Review
- "It's not easy to acknowledge that I'm ill": a qualitative investigation into the health seeking behavior of rural Palestinian women.BMC women's health · 2013Article
- Self medication with antibiotics in Yogyakarta City Indonesia: a cross sectional population-based survey.BMC research notes · 2011Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectivesThe aim of this study is to investigate over-the-counter sale of antibiotics from community pharmacies in Abu Dhabi city, focusing on the extent, demographic and socioeconomic determinants of this practice.
settingThe study was conducted in the capital of the United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi, and involved 17 randomly selected private pharmacies.
methodA cross-sectional design using structured observations of 30 clients purchasing antibiotics from a pharmacy staff (either a pharmacist or pharmacy assistant) at each selected pharmacy. A total of 510 interactions were observed. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS.
main outcome measureThe extent and types of antibiotics sold over-the-counter in Abu Dhabi city as observed in the selected sample of community pharmacies, and the demographic and socioeconomic factors that contributed to this practice.
resultsSixty eight percent (68.4%) of the observed antibiotic sales were sold over-the-counter without prescriptions. Injection antibiotics constituted 2.2% of the antibiotics sold, 45.5% of which were sold over-the-counter. Combination of penicillins including β-lactamase inhibitors (34.0%), penicillins with extended spectrum (22.3%) and second generation cephalosporins (11.2%) were the mostly commonly sold antibiotic groups. Respiratory conditions (63.1%) were the most frequent reason for purchasing antibiotics. Over-the-counter sales of antibiotics were related to client ethnicity and age, gender of pharmacy staff and health complaint.
conclusionOur study revealed high sales of over-the-counter antibiotics, despite this being illegal. The ineffectiveness of antibiotics in treating respiratory conditions of viral origin and effects of such practice on the emergence of bacterial resistance necessitates prompt action.
Indexed as
Identifiers
20640511What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.