ArticleBMC public health2020
Every medicine is medicine; exploring inappropriate antibiotic use at the community level in rural Ghana.
Article in BMC public health, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 31 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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Who cites it
31 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 60 citations in OpenAlex.
- Improving antibiotic utilization in West Africa: enhancing interventions through systematic review and evidence synthesis.Antimicrobial resistance and infection control · 2025Pooled it
- A systematic literature review of economic evaluation studies of interventions impacting antimicrobial resistance.Antimicrobial resistance and infection control · 2023Pooled it
- Pooled it
- A systematic review of self-medication practice during the COVID-19 pandemic: implications for pharmacy practice in supporting public health measures.Frontiers in public health · 2023Pooled it
- Public Knowledge, Attitudes, and Perceptions of Antimicrobial Resistance in Brazil: Insights from a Nationwide Online Survey.Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Exploring confusion with antibiotic identification at the community level in six low-and-middle-income countries across Asia and Africa.BMC public health · 2026Article
- Informal over-the-counter supply of antibiotics in Ghana: A qualitative analysis of practices in community pharmacies.Exploratory research in clinical and social pharmacy · 2026Article
- Bridging the Evidence-to-Policy Gap: Strengthening Capacities in Low- and Middle-Income Countries to Translate Antimicrobial Resistance Data and Evidence into Effective Policies.Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- The effectiveness of Ghana's antibiotic control policy framework: an analysis using the Anderson governance framework.Journal of pharmaceutical policy and practice · 2026Article
- Logics of acquiring medicines from informal retailers in four African countries.Global health action · 2025Article
- Home Treatment of Childhood Illnesses Prior to Seeking Formal Care: A Cross-Sectional Study at Different Health Care Levels in Ghana.Tropical medicine & international health : TM & IH · 2025Article
- Social determinants of health and knowledge, attitude and practice studies on antimicrobial resistance-an evidence review and future direction.JAC-antimicrobial resistance · 2025Article
- Analysis of knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to antibiotics and antimicrobial resistance awareness among community members in Ghana and Burkina Faso.Antimicrobial resistance and infection control · 2025Article
- Appropriateness of Antibiotic Prescription Among Children Under 5 Years: A Cross-Sectional Study in a Ghanaian Regional Hospital.Health science reports · 2025Article
- Impact of educational intervention on knowledge of antimicrobial resistance and antibiotic use patterns among healthcare students: a pre- and post-intervention study.BMC medical education · 2025Article
- Exploring Antibiotic Use in the Community: A Household-Based Survey Using the Drug Bag Method in Rural Burkina Faso.Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Article
- Consumption Trends of Antifungal and Antiprotozoal Agents for Human Systemic Use in Kazakhstan from 2017 to 2023.Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Article
- Understanding antibiotic purchasing practices in community pharmacies: A potential driver of emerging antimicrobial resistance.Exploratory research in clinical and social pharmacy · 2024Article
- Modeling pediatric antibiotic use in an area of declining malaria prevalence.Scientific reports · 2024Article
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Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
6 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundInappropriate antibiotic use is an important driver of antibiotic resistance. This study sought to explore inappropriate antibiotic use and confusing antibiotics with other medicines in Ghana using ethnomethodology research approach.
methodsThis was an explorative study involving 15 in-depth interviews among health professionals and private dispensers and eight focus group discussions among 55 community members. Qualitative data were coded using Nvivo 12, thematically analysed and presented as narratives with quotes to support the findings.
resultsSelf-medication was common and antibiotics were used to treat specific diseases but respondents were not aware these were 'antibiotics'. Various antibiotics were used for indications that in principle do not require systemic antibiotics, like stomach ache and sores on the body. Antibiotics, in particular tetracycline and metronidazole, were poured into "akpeteshie" (local gin) to treat hernia and perceived stomach sores (stomach ulcer). These practices were copied/learnt from various sources like over-the-counter medicine sellers, family, friends, radio/television, drug peddlers, pharmacies and doctors. Medicines in capsules were referred to as 'topaye' or 'abombelt' in Twi (local dialect) and perceived to treat pain associated with diseases. Antibiotics in capsules were described with colours which appeared confusing as some capsules with different drugs in them have similar colours.
conclusionInappropriate antibiotic use were influenced by general lack of knowledge on antibiotics and identification of antibiotics by colours of capsules which leads to confusion and could lead to inappropriate antibiotic use. There is the need for public health education on appropriate antibiotic use and standardization of appearance of antibiotics and other drugs to optimize use.
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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.