Non-prescription sale of antibiotics and service quality in community pharmacies in Guangzhou, China: A simulated client method

OBJECTIVE: To measure the situation of the non-prescription sale of antibiotics and the service quality of community pharmacies in Guangzhou, China. METHODS: A simulated client method was conducted to estimate the non-prescription sale of antibiotics and service quality based on scenarios about adult acute upper respiratory tract infection in 2019. A total of 595 community pharmacies from 11 districts were investigated in Guangzhou, China. We used binary logistic regression to evaluate the factors associated with the non-prescription sale of antibiotics. RESULTS: The proportion of non-prescription dispensing of antibiotics was 63.1% in Guangzhou, China, with a higher incidence of antibiotic dispensing without prescription in outer districts (69.3%). Cephalosporin (44.1%) and Amoxicillin (39.0%) were sold more often than other antibiotics. Chain pharmacies had better performance on the prescription sale of antibiotics and service quality. Traditional Chinese medicine was commonly recommended by pharmacy staff. CONCLUSION: Since the non-prescription sale of antibiotics is prevalent in Guangzhou, effective solutions should be determined. Strengthened public awareness and regulatory system innovation are needed.