ArticlePloS one2024
Self-medication with antibiotics during the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional study among adults in Tema, Ghana.
Article in PloS one, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
6 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- From water to wards: status of integrated preventive strategies to break the chain of infection and antimicrobial resistance in Pakistan.Frontiers in pharmacology · 2026Pooled it
- Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Regarding Antibiotic Use and Resistance Among University Students in Mogadishu: A Comparative Cross-Sectional Study.Health science reports · 2026Article
- Physicians' perspectives on the perceived increase in respiratory infections post-COVID-19 in Pakistan: a qualitative study.BMC infectious diseases · 2026Article
- Trends in Antimicrobial Consumption in Pakistan (2016-2028): Retrospective Observational Study With Forecasting.JMIR public health and surveillance · 2026Observational
- Status and implications of the knowledge, attitudes and practices towards AWaRe antibiotic use, resistance and stewardship among low- and middle-income countries.JAC-antimicrobial resistance · 2025Review
- National trends in Azithromycin consumption during 2017-2023 in Kazakhstan: impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the imperative for enhanced clinical guidelines.Scientific reports · 2025Article
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8 authors.
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No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundAntibiotic self-medication is one of the common causes of antibiotic resistance of bacterial organisms. The COVID-19 pandemic introduced a new paradigm shift and significantly influenced healthcare behaviors, including an increase in antibiotic self-medication, which contributes to antibiotic resistance. This study was aimed at determining the prevalence of antibiotic self-medication and the possible associated factors during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic among adult residents of Tema in Ghana from April to July 2021.
methodsUsing a cross-sectional design, 400 adults were randomly selected and surveyed using a researcher-assisted questionnaire. Data were analyzed with IBM® SPSS® Statistics Version 22.0, considering associations significant at a 95% confidence interval (p < 0.05).
resultsOf the 400 respondents, (76%) 304 had practiced antibiotic self-medication within the previous 12 months during the COVID-19 pandemic. Significant factors associated with antibiotic self-medication included gender, age, marital status, education, occupation, and National Health Insurance Scheme subscription. Convenience and avoiding long hospital queues were primary non-medical reasons for antibiotic self-medication, while previous successful experience, easy access to antibiotics, treating symptoms, prophylaxis, and fear of hospital infection were the medical reasons for antibiotic self-medication. Commonly self-administered antibiotics were azithromycin (34%), amoxicillin/clavulanic acid (22%), and metronidazole (16%) for perceived respiratory tract and gastrointestinal tract infections.
conclusionsThe high prevalence of antibiotic self-medication observed during the COVID-19 pandemic underscores the need for enhanced public education and stricter enforcement of regulations governing antibiotic sales. The non-medical and medical factors of convenience, avoiding long hospital queues, previous successful experience, easy access to antibiotics, treating symptoms, prophylaxis, and fear of hospital infection which motivated antibiotic self-medication practices require the implementation of antimicrobial stewardship interventions.
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