ArticlePloS one2022
Assessment of without prescription antibiotic dispensing at community pharmacies in Hazara Division, Pakistan: A simulated client's study.
Article in PloS one, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 17 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
17 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 37 citations in OpenAlex.
- Non-prescription antibiotic dispensing in community pharmacies in LMICs: a systematic review of prevalence, drivers, and policy implications.BMC health services research · 2026Pooled it
- Evaluating tuberculosis service accessibility in Pakistan by analyzing population movement patterns from telecom mobility and survey data.BMC global and public health · 2026Article
- Non-prescription antibiotics dispensing for common infections using simulated patients.Exploratory research in clinical and social pharmacy · 2026Article
- Social determinants of self-medication practice by caregivers among pediatrics population in Pakistan: a logistic regression analysis of a prospective cross-sectional study.Annals of medicine and surgery (2012) · 2025Article
- 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
- Informal sale of antibiotics in Guatemalan convenience stores before and after implementation of federal antibiotic dispensing legislation.BMC pharmacology & toxicology · 2024Article
- Public knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) regarding antibiotics use and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in Bangladesh.Heliyon · 2023Article
- Antimicrobial Dispensing Practices during COVID-19 and the Implications for Pakistan.Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Article
- Knowledge, Attitude and Practices of Self-Medication Including Antibiotics among Health Care Professionals during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Pakistan: Findings and Implications.Antibiotics (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
- Practices and motives behind antibiotics provision in drug outlets in Tanzania: A qualitative study.PloS one · 2023Article
- Impact of a pharmacist-led educational intervention on knowledge, attitude, and practice toward the rational use of antibiotics among healthcare workers in a secondary care hospital in Punjab, Pakistan.Frontiers in pharmacology · 2023Article
- Point Prevalence Survey of Antimicrobial Use during the COVID-19 Pandemic among Different Hospitals in Pakistan: Findings and Implications.Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2022Article
- Exploring Knowledge of Antibiotic Use, Resistance, and Stewardship Programs among Pharmacy Technicians Serving in Ambulatory Care Settings in Pakistan and the Implications.Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2022Article
- Assessment of antibiotic storage practices, knowledge, and awareness related to antibiotic uses and antibiotic resistance among household members in post-conflict areas of Pakistan: Bi-central study.Frontiers in medicine · 2022Article
- Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of Pharmacy Professionals Against Dispensing Antibiotics Without Prescription in Ethiopia.Integrated pharmacy research & practice · 2022Article
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Authors and funding
5 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Antibiotics dispensing without a prescription is an irrational practice and can increase the risk of antibiotic resistance, which is a significant public health concern around the globe. This study was aimed to determine the extent to which antibiotics are supplied without prescription in the community pharmacies (CPs) at Hazara Division from November 2020 to February 2021. The simulated client method (SCM) was used, and the data were gathered, recorded, and analyzed through different statistical methods with descriptive and inferential techniques. The antibiotic dispensing was observed in CPs (90.5%), the most dispensed antibiotics were azithromycin (29.4%) and ciprofloxacin (46.5%) respectively. Furthermore, visited medical stores/ drug outlets, 9.5% of the visited stores denied dispensing of antibiotics because they preferred a referral to visit physicians (23. 9%) and (12.8%) did not had the antibiotics at the time of visits. Antibiotics were more obtainable in retail medical stores (AOR = 8.6, 95 percent Cl: 3.0-24.7; p = 0.001) than in pharmacies. In rural areas antibiotics dispensing was more (p = 0.004) as compared to urban areas. Staff members also had asked about patient's (17.7%) symptoms and drug allergies (12.3% and 3.9%), and (1.5%) they consoled them about their medications. The findings of this study indicate that nonprescription antibiotic sales are very common, despite national rules prohibiting this activity. When the simulated Client requested for any medication to relieve his or her discomfort, many antibiotics were given out without a prescription. Pharmacies/medical stores in Hazara Division selling antibiotics without a prescription are worrying and need immediate action by regulators.
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