ArticleBMJ open2021
Determinants of dispensing antibiotics without prescription in Eritrea: a mixed-method qualitative study on pharmacy professionals' perspective.
Article in BMJ open, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers.
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Who cites it
10 citing papers in PubMed.
- Perspectives and Challenges of Healthcare Professionals, Patients, and Caregivers Regarding Utilizing Antibiotics and Implementing Antibiotic Stewardship in Healthcare Facilities in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Systematic Review of Qualitative Studies.Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- A systematic review of antimicrobial stewardship practices and challenges in sub-Sahara Africa (SSA) regulated retail medicine settings.JAC-antimicrobial resistance · 2026Review
- Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of Dairy Farmers Regarding Antibiotic Use and Resistance in Selected Regions of Eritrea.Infection and drug resistance · 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
- Pharmacies and use of antibiotics: a cross sectional study in 19 Arab countries.Antimicrobial resistance and infection control · 2024Article
- Engaging healthcare students in innovative approaches for antimicrobial resistance containment.Journal of public health in Africa · 2024Article
- "Handing out non-prescribed antibiotics is storing up trouble for the next generation!" Unpacking multistakeholder views of drivers and potential solutions in Ethiopia.BMC health services research · 2023Article
- The Extent of Antibiotic Dispensing in Self-Medication Encounters in Sudan: A Simulated Patient Study Focusing on Cefixime Sale.Integrated pharmacy research & practice · 2023Article
- Magnitude of non-prescribed antibiotic dispensing in Ethiopia: a multicentre simulated client study with a focus on non-urban towns.The Journal of antimicrobial chemotherapy · 2022Article
- Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of Pharmacy Professionals Against Dispensing Antibiotics Without Prescription in Ethiopia.Integrated pharmacy research & practice · 2022Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectiveAntimicrobial resistance is a global public health challenge. Dispensing of antibiotics without prescription (DAWP), a major contributor to antibiotic resistance, is extensive in Eritrea. This study was, therefore, aimed at deeply understanding, qualitatively, the pharmacy professionals' perspective on the factors that trigger DAWP and how this practice could be mitigated.
designA qualitative exploratory study design was employed.
settingDrug retail outlets of Asmara, capital of Eritrea, and pharmaceutical services of Eritrea.
participantsThirty pharmacy professionals who were owners and employees of the drug retail outlets stationed in Asmara and six key informants from the pharmaceutical services of all administrative regions of Eritrea, selected purposively, were the study participants. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: The data were collected using focus group discussions and key informant interviews between March and September 2020. The collected data were transcribed verbatim, translated to English and finally thematically analysed using an inductive approach.
resultsThe main triggering factors were related to the drug retail outlet owners, dispensers, healthcare system and patients. Knowledge and attitude-based motivation, economic interest, inadequate services in health facilities, weak regulatory enforcement, inadequate training, trust and satisfaction of patients, previous successful experience, seriousness of a condition and saving time and money were reported among others as determinants of DAWP.
conclusionsThe triggering factors to DAWP were found to be very complex and some of them were important that might require immediate attention from policymakers. Ensuring readily available and accessible healthcare services, empowering medicines regulation and continuing sensitisation of dispensers are highly recommended to minimise DAWP.
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