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Evaluation of Self-Medication with Antibiotics in Primary Care Clinics in Palestine
BACKGROUND: Antibiotics are highly effective medications and essential in curing infectious diseases; however, their inappropriate use, such as self-medication, is a significant factor in developing antimicrobial resistance. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the level of antibiotic self-medica...
Autores principales: | , , , , , , |
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Formato: | Online Artículo Texto |
Lenguaje: | English |
Publicado: |
Dove
2022
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Materias: | |
Acceso en línea: | https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9595066/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/36303594 http://dx.doi.org/10.2147/PPA.S384671 |
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author | Naseef, Hani Joza’, Dana Awawdeh, Ahlam Hasan, Alaa Abukhalil, Abdallah Damin Al-Shami, Ni’meh Rabba, Abdullah |
author_facet | Naseef, Hani Joza’, Dana Awawdeh, Ahlam Hasan, Alaa Abukhalil, Abdallah Damin Al-Shami, Ni’meh Rabba, Abdullah |
author_sort | Naseef, Hani |
collection | PubMed |
description | BACKGROUND: Antibiotics are highly effective medications and essential in curing infectious diseases; however, their inappropriate use, such as self-medication, is a significant factor in developing antimicrobial resistance. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the level of antibiotic self-medication among patients who visited primary care clinics in Palestine. METHODS: Data were collected via a self-administered questionnaire, either printed or electronically, using google forms (Google Inc., USA). The sample size needed to provide a 95% confidence level and 5% margin error and assuming a prevalence of 50% of SM with antibiotics was 377 patients. A total of 700 questionnaires were randomly distributed to patients aged 18 years or older. However, 87 were excluded due to duplication, incomplete responses, or participants under 18 years old. Finally, 423 patients were included in this study, with 254 patients completing the electronic Google Forms and 181 completing the written survey. The questionnaire consists of patients’ demographics, antibiotics knowledge, and self-medication behavior. In addition, descriptive statistics and knowledge scales were performed using SPSS 22 IBM to measure and assess the scope of the problem and find the association between self-medication demographics, education, and socioeconomic status. RESULTS: Approximately 50% of participants reported self-medication with antibiotics, with a very high use among participants with medical knowledge. Most people have adequate awareness of antibiotics, whereas out of 423 respondents, (40.2%, n = 170) had GKL, (50.4%, n= 213) had AKL, and only (9.5%, n=40) presented PKL. The primary source for self-treatment with antibiotics was community pharmacies (87.1%, n=223), whereas (14.1%, n=36) got antibiotics from family and friends. Convenience, easy access, and experience with community pharmacists contributed to self-medications. The most commonly used antibiotic for self-medication was amoxicillin/clavulanic acid. CONCLUSION: Self-medication with antibiotics is a common practice in Palestine, regardless of socioeconomic or educational status. Patients’ educations about complications from inappropriate use and the possibility of side effects are essential steps to decrease patients’ demands for antibiotics. Furthermore, compliance and adherence of community pharmacists in dispensing antibiotics only with a prescription is necessary. |
format | Online Article Text |
id | pubmed-9595066 |
institution | National Center for Biotechnology Information |
language | English |
publishDate | 2022 |
publisher | Dove |
record_format | MEDLINE/PubMed |
spelling | pubmed-95950662022-10-26 Evaluation of Self-Medication with Antibiotics in Primary Care Clinics in Palestine Naseef, Hani Joza’, Dana Awawdeh, Ahlam Hasan, Alaa Abukhalil, Abdallah Damin Al-Shami, Ni’meh Rabba, Abdullah Patient Prefer Adherence Original Research BACKGROUND: Antibiotics are highly effective medications and essential in curing infectious diseases; however, their inappropriate use, such as self-medication, is a significant factor in developing antimicrobial resistance. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the level of antibiotic self-medication among patients who visited primary care clinics in Palestine. METHODS: Data were collected via a self-administered questionnaire, either printed or electronically, using google forms (Google Inc., USA). The sample size needed to provide a 95% confidence level and 5% margin error and assuming a prevalence of 50% of SM with antibiotics was 377 patients. A total of 700 questionnaires were randomly distributed to patients aged 18 years or older. However, 87 were excluded due to duplication, incomplete responses, or participants under 18 years old. Finally, 423 patients were included in this study, with 254 patients completing the electronic Google Forms and 181 completing the written survey. The questionnaire consists of patients’ demographics, antibiotics knowledge, and self-medication behavior. In addition, descriptive statistics and knowledge scales were performed using SPSS 22 IBM to measure and assess the scope of the problem and find the association between self-medication demographics, education, and socioeconomic status. RESULTS: Approximately 50% of participants reported self-medication with antibiotics, with a very high use among participants with medical knowledge. Most people have adequate awareness of antibiotics, whereas out of 423 respondents, (40.2%, n = 170) had GKL, (50.4%, n= 213) had AKL, and only (9.5%, n=40) presented PKL. The primary source for self-treatment with antibiotics was community pharmacies (87.1%, n=223), whereas (14.1%, n=36) got antibiotics from family and friends. Convenience, easy access, and experience with community pharmacists contributed to self-medications. The most commonly used antibiotic for self-medication was amoxicillin/clavulanic acid. CONCLUSION: Self-medication with antibiotics is a common practice in Palestine, regardless of socioeconomic or educational status. Patients’ educations about complications from inappropriate use and the possibility of side effects are essential steps to decrease patients’ demands for antibiotics. Furthermore, compliance and adherence of community pharmacists in dispensing antibiotics only with a prescription is necessary. Dove 2022-10-21 /pmc/articles/PMC9595066/ /pubmed/36303594 http://dx.doi.org/10.2147/PPA.S384671 Text en © 2022 Naseef et al. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/This work is published and licensed by Dove Medical Press Limited. The full terms of this license are available at https://www.dovepress.com/terms.php and incorporate the Creative Commons Attribution – Non Commercial (unported, v3.0) License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/) ). By accessing the work you hereby accept the Terms. Non-commercial uses of the work are permitted without any further permission from Dove Medical Press Limited, provided the work is properly attributed. For permission for commercial use of this work, please see paragraphs 4.2 and 5 of our Terms (https://www.dovepress.com/terms.php). |
spellingShingle | Original Research Naseef, Hani Joza’, Dana Awawdeh, Ahlam Hasan, Alaa Abukhalil, Abdallah Damin Al-Shami, Ni’meh Rabba, Abdullah Evaluation of Self-Medication with Antibiotics in Primary Care Clinics in Palestine |
title | Evaluation of Self-Medication with Antibiotics in Primary Care Clinics in Palestine |
title_full | Evaluation of Self-Medication with Antibiotics in Primary Care Clinics in Palestine |
title_fullStr | Evaluation of Self-Medication with Antibiotics in Primary Care Clinics in Palestine |
title_full_unstemmed | Evaluation of Self-Medication with Antibiotics in Primary Care Clinics in Palestine |
title_short | Evaluation of Self-Medication with Antibiotics in Primary Care Clinics in Palestine |
title_sort | evaluation of self-medication with antibiotics in primary care clinics in palestine |
topic | Original Research |
url | https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9595066/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/36303594 http://dx.doi.org/10.2147/PPA.S384671 |
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