ArticleAntibiotics (Basel, Switzerland)2021
Over-the-Counter Sale of Antibiotics in India: A Qualitative Study of Providers' Perspectives across Two States.
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 46 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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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.
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Who cites it
46 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Non-prescription antibiotic dispensing in community pharmacies in LMICs: a systematic review of prevalence, drivers, and policy implications.BMC health services research · 2026Pooled it
- Prevalence and associated factors of self-medication with antibiotics among pediatric population in India: a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMC pediatrics · 2025Pooled it
- Reframing Antimicrobial Stewardship as Systems Governance: Aligning Regulation, Diagnostics, Antibiotic Use Measurement, and Surveillance to Address Antimicrobial Resistance.Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- Before Zaynich becomes routine: a call for reserve-class regulation in South Asia.Annals of medicine and surgery (2012) · 2026Article
- Occurrence and risk assessment of pharmaceutical and personal care product pollution in Urban Aquatic Ecosystems of South India.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- Review
- Primary caregivers' practices and perceptions on antibiotic use and resistance: a one health qualitative study in rural South India.BMJ open · 2026Article
- 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
- Antimicrobial Consumption and Resistance Dynamics Across Healthcare Level: Global Evidence and Stewardship Implications.Pathogens (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- Antibiotic self-medication behaviours and contributing factors among adults in the Southern West Bank, Palestine.JAC-antimicrobial resistance · 2026Article
- Exploring the burden of diarrheal disease and associated WASH practices in rural West Bengal, India: an explanatory sequential mixed-method approach.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- Prevalence of pre-hospital antibiotic exposure and its associated factors among pediatric population: a cross-sectional study.BMC pediatrics · 2026Article
- Article
- Navigating Global Regulatory Divergence in Over-the-counter Drugs: Addressing Emerging Risks and Harmonization Challenges.Current drug research reviews · 2026Review
- Can Pakistan achieve the UNGA 70% antibiotic access target? A scoping review of susceptibility data.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
- Dental stewardship implementation and antimicrobial resistance awareness in India: prescribing patterns, knowledge gaps, and barriers-systematic review with narrative synthesis.Antimicrobial stewardship & healthcare epidemiology : ASHE · 2026Article
- Antibiotic Resistance in Dentistry: A Review.Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Review
- OXA-244-producing Escherichia coli isolated from a dog in Portugal.Veterinary research communications · 2025Article
- Strategies and Recent Advances in Tackling Antibacterial Resistance in India: A Comprehensive Narrative Review.Cureus · 2025Review
- Assessment of Availability of Antibiotics for Online Sale and Comparison of E-pharmacies in India.Cureus · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
Abstract
India has one of the highest rates of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) worldwide. Despite being prescription drugs, antibiotics are commonly available over-the-counter (OTC) at retail pharmacies. We aimed to gain insight into the OTC sale of antibiotics at retail pharmacies and to elucidate its underlying drivers. We conducted face-to-face, in-depth interviews using convenience sampling with 22 pharmacists and 14 informal dispensers from 36 retail pharmacies across two Indian states (Haryana and Telangana). Thematic analysis revealed that antibiotics were often dispensed OTC for conditions e.g., fever, cough and cold, and acute diarrhea, which are typically viral and self-limiting. Both Access and Watch groups of antibiotics were dispensed for 1-2 days. Respondents had poor knowledge regarding AMR and shifted the blame for OTC practices for antibiotics onto the government, prescribers, informal providers, cross practice by alternative medicine practitioners, and consumer demand. Pharmacists suggested the main drivers for underlying OTC dispensing were commercial interests, poor access to public healthcare, economic and time constraints among consumers, lack of stringent regulations, and scanty inspections. Therefore, a comprehensive strategy which is well aligned with activities under the National Action Plan-AMR, including stewardship efforts targeting pharmacists and evidence-based targeted awareness campaigns for all stakeholders, is required to curb the inappropriate use of antibiotics.
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