ArticleBulletin of the World Health Organization2023
Sales of antibiotics without a prescription in pharmacies, 2017 and 2021, China.
Article in Bulletin of the World Health Organization, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.
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Who cites it
5 citing papers in PubMed.
- Knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding antibiotic prescribing by dentists: a qualitative study in Chile.Journal of public health (Oxford, England) · 2026Article
- Over-the-counter sales of high-priority antibiotics are common: results of a global survey.JAC-antimicrobial resistance · 2026Article
- Prescription-only medicine requests by clients: Insights from community pharmacies.Exploratory research in clinical and social pharmacy · 2026Article
- Prevalence of inappropriate use behaviors of antibiotics and related factors among parents in eastern China: an online cross-sectional survey.Frontiers in public health · 2025Article
- Availability, pricing, and affordability of essential medicines for pediatric population in Malawi.Frontiers in pharmacology · 2024Article
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Authors and funding
8 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Objective: To measure sales of antibiotics without a prescription in pharmacies in China in 2017 and 2021, before and during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, and determine the factors associated with such sales. Methods: We conducted cross-sectional surveys using the simulated patient method in retail pharmacies in 13 provinces in eastern, central and western China in 2017 and 2021. At the pharmacies, the simulated patients (trained medical students) reported that they had mild respiratory tract symptoms and asked for treatment, using a three-stage process: (i) request some treatment; (ii) request antibiotics; (iii) request specific antibiotics. We used multivariable logistic regression analysis to determine factors associated with sale of antibiotics without a prescription. Findings: Of the pharmacies visited in 2017, 83.6% (925/1106) sold antibiotics without a prescription; this figure was 78.3% (853/1090) in 2021 ( Conclusion: Although laws became stricter between 2017 and 2021, antibiotic sales without a prescription were still common in pharmacies across China. Existing regulations need to be more strictly enforced, and pharmacy staff and the public should be made more aware of the risks of antibiotic misuse and dangers of antimicrobial resistance.
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