Patterns of antibiotic use, knowledge, and perceptions among different population categories: A comprehensive study based in Arabic countries

BACKGROUND: Antibiotics are essential for the treatment of bacterial infections and are considered among the most commonly sold drug classes from the community pharmacy in the developing countries without a prescription in most cases. PURPOSE: This study aims to explore the knowledge, practices, and attitudes regarding antibiotic use. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study employs a cross-sectional descriptive design that used a pre-validated survey. The participants were classified into three main mutually exclusive groups: healthcare professionals, medical students, and other adults in the community. RESULTS: Of the 10,226 participants, 1157 (11%) were healthcare professionals; 2322 (23%) were medical students and 6747 (66%) were other adults in community. The majority of participants used antibiotic at least once during the past year. A total of 838 (72.4%) healthcare professionals and 800 (34.5%) medical students had prescribed an antibiotic during the last 6 months. Almost half of the medical students and adults in the community and almost one-third of healthcare professionals reported that the aim of antibiotics use is for fever. Furthermore, around one-quarter of participants reported that the aim of antibiotics use is for viral infection. Around one-quarter of respondents stated that the antibiotic will always be effective in the treatment of the same infection in the future. Around one-quarter of participants stated that 21 to 50% of antibiotics are considered to be unnecessary or inappropriate prescriptions. Different factors were perceived as being very important causes of antibiotic resistance among the participants. CONCLUSIONS: These findings indicated that this study participants showed unsatisfactory knowledge and perceptions of proper antibiotic use. Therefore, there is a requirement for a comprehensive and effective antibiotic-stewardship program to promote rational antibiotics use, and compensate for knowledge and perceptions gaps to prevent antibiotic resistance development.