ArticleAntibiotics (Basel, Switzerland)2021
Dispensing of Non-Prescribed Antibiotics from Community Pharmacies of Pakistan: A Cross-Sectional Survey of Pharmacy Staff's Opinion.
Article in Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland), 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 15 papers.
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Who cites it
15 citing papers in PubMed.
- Non-prescription antibiotics dispensing for common infections using simulated patients.Exploratory research in clinical and social pharmacy · 2026Article
- Policy Framework and Barriers in Antimicrobial Consumption Monitoring at the National Level: A Qualitative Study from Pakistan.Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- A point prevalence survey on antibiotic dispensing practices identifies targets for quality improvement of antimicrobial stewardship in community pharmacies in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.Journal of pharmaceutical policy and practice · 2026Article
- Knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding antimicrobial use and antimicrobial resistance among medical students and house surgeons in India: a call to reform medical curricula and training practices.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
- Pattern of antibiotic dispensing at pharmacies according to access, watch, reserve (AWaRe) classification: multicenter study after COVID-19 waves in different districts of Pakistan.BMC research notes · 2025Article
- Progress on the Global Research Agenda for Antimicrobial Resistance in Human Health in Pakistan: Findings and Implications.Infection and drug resistance · 2025Review
- Evaluation of pharmacists' opioid dispensing practices: a cross-sectional study from Pakistan.Journal of pharmaceutical policy and practice · 2025Article
- A global investigation into antimicrobial knowledge in medicine, pharmacy, nursing, dentistry and veterinary undergraduate students: A scoping review to inform future planetary health multidisciplinary education.BMC medical education · 2024Article
- Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Regarding Antibiotic Sales in Pharmacies in Medellín, Colombia 2023.Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Article
- Community Pharmacies in the Asian Countries of Developing Health System: Formation, Regulation, and Implication.Pharmacy (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Article
- Understanding of Final Year Medical, Pharmacy and Nursing Students in Pakistan towards Antibiotic Use, Antimicrobial Resistance and Stewardship: Findings and Implications.Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Article
- Dispensing of antibiotics for tuberculosis patients using standardized patient approach at community pharmacies: results from a cross-sectional study in Pakistan.Frontiers in public health · 2023Article
- A Formative Assessment of Antibiotic Dispensing/Prescribing Practices and Knowledge and Perceptions of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) among Healthcare Workers in Lahore Pakistan.Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2022Article
- Non-prescribed antibiotic use for children at community levels in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Journal of pharmaceutical policy and practice · 2022Article
- How Are We Educating Future Physicians and Pharmacists in Pakistan? A Survey of the Medical and Pharmacy Student's Perception on Learning and Preparedness to Assume Future Roles in Antibiotic Use and Resistance.Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2021Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
9 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Community pharmacies are the main channel of antibiotics distribution. We aimed to analyze the dispensing of non-prescribed antibiotics and knowledge of pharmacy staff. We conducted a cross-sectional study in Punjab, Pakistan between December 2017 and March 2018. A self-administered, structured, pretested, and validated bilingual questionnaire was used, and we used chi-square tests in the statistical analysis. A total of 573 (91.7%) pharmacy retailers responded to the survey; 44.0% were aged 31-40 years and all were men. Approximately 81.5% of participants declared that dispensing non-prescribed antibiotics is a common practice in community pharmacies, and 51.1% considered themselves to be authorized to dispense these drugs; 69.3% believed this a contributing factor to antimicrobial resistance. Most (79.1%) respondents believed that this practice promotes irrational antibiotics use, and half (52.2%) considered antimicrobial resistance to be a public health issue. Only 34.5% of respondents reported recommending that patients consult with a doctor prior to using antibiotics, and 61.8% perceived that their dispensing practices reduce patients' economic burden. Approximately 44.9% of pharmacy retailers stated that they have proper knowledge about antibiotics use. Nitroimidazole was the main class of antibiotic dispensed without a prescription. Dispensing of injectable and broad-spectrum antibiotics can be potential threat for infection cure. Poor knowledge of staff is associated with dispensing of non-prescribed antibiotics. This inappropriate practice must be addressed immediately.
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