ArticleBMC public health2011
Non prescribed sale of antibiotics in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: a cross sectional study.
Article in BMC public health, 2011. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 108 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
108 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 238 citations in OpenAlex.
- Assessing the implementation determinants of antimicrobial stewardship programmes in sub-Saharan Africa through the complexity lens. A CFIR-guided systematic review.Frontiers in microbiology · 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
- Faecal carriage of antibiotic resistant Escherichia coli in asymptomatic children and associations with primary care antibiotic prescribing: a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMC infectious diseases · 2016Pooled it
- Global prevalence of antibiotic resistance in paediatric urinary tract infections caused by Escherichia coli and association with routine use of antibiotics in primary care: systematic review and meta-analysis.BMJ (Clinical research ed.) · 2016Pooled it
- Tetracycline Resistance Pattern Among Lymphatic Filariasis-Hyperendemic Communities in Southern Ghana: A Mixed-Method Approach.Health science reports · 2026Article
- Non-Prescription Dispensing of Antibiotics in Community Pharmacies in Port Sudan: A Simulated Patient Study Using a Sore Throat Scenario in a Conflict-Affected Setting.Integrated pharmacy research & practice · 2026Article
- Knowledge, attitude, and practice of self-medication among adults in the central region of Saudi Arabia: a cross-sectional study.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
- Multi-stakeholder perspective on community pharmacy services in Saudi Arabia: A systematic review and meta-analyses for 2010-2020.Exploratory research in clinical and social pharmacy · 2025Review
- Patterns of antibiotic resistance in uropathogens isolated from pediatric patients: A multicenter study.Saudi medical journal · 2025Article
- Community Pharmacists' Responses Toward Antimicrobial Prescriptions in Jordan: A Cross-Sectional Survey.Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Inappropriate antibiotic access practices at the community level in Eastern Ethiopia.Scientific reports · 2024Article
- Community pharmacist intervention in doxycycline self-medication for acne among pregnant women in Saudi Arabia.Saudi pharmaceutical journal : SPJ : the official publication of the Saudi Pharmaceutical Society · 2024Article
- Prevalence and determinants of antibiotics self-medication among indigenous people of Bangladesh: a cross-sectional study.BMJ open · 2024Article
- Healthcare commissioners' experience with antibiotic resistance during the COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia: a qualitative study.Journal of pharmaceutical policy and practice · 2024Article
- Article
- Community Pharmacy Professionals' Knowledge and Counseling Skills for the Treatment of Acute Diarrhea in Children in Qassim Region, Saudi Arabia: Questionnaire Based and Simulated Client Study.Patient preference and adherence · 2024Article
- The Behavior of Primary Healthcare Doctors Toward Antibiotic Prescriptions for Upper Respiratory Tract Infections.Cureus · 2024Article
- Antimicrobial Sales Comparison before and after the Implementation of Nationwide Restriction Policy in Saudi Arabia.Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Article
- Article
- Patterns of Drug Utilization and Self-Medication Practices: A Cross Sectional Study.Pharmacy (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Article
48 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
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Authors and funding
11 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundAntibiotics sales without medical prescriptions are increasingly recognized as sources of antimicrobial misuse that can exacerbate the global burden of antibiotic resistance. We aimed to determine the percentage of pharmacies who sell antibiotics without medical prescriptions, examining the potential associated risks of such practice in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, by simulation of different clinical scenarios.
methodsA cross sectional study of a quasi-random sample of pharmacies stratified by the five regions of Riyadh. Each pharmacy was visited once by two investigators who simulated having a relative with a specific clinical illness (sore throat, acute bronchitis, otitis media, acute sinusitis, diarrhea, and urinary tract infection (UTI) in childbearing aged women).
resultsA total of 327 pharmacies were visited. Antibiotics were dispensed without a medical prescription in 244 (77.6%) of 327, of which 231 (95%) were dispensed without a patient request. Simulated cases of sore throat and diarrhea resulted in an antibiotic being dispensed in (90%) of encounters, followed by UTI (75%), acute bronchitis (73%), otitis media (51%) and acute sinusitis (40%). Metronidazole (89%) and ciprofloxacin (86%) were commonly given for diarrhea and UTI, respectively, whereas amoxicillin/clavulanate was dispensed (51%) for the other simulated cases. None of the pharmacists asked about antibiotic allergy history or provided information about drug interactions. Only 23% asked about pregnancy status when dispensing antibiotics for UTI-simulated cases.
conclusionsWe observed that an antibiotic could be obtained in Riyadh without a medical prescription or an evidence-based indication with associated potential clinical risks. Strict enforcement and adherence to existing regulations are warranted.
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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.