ASSESSMENT OF KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDES, AND PRACTICES REGARDING ANTIBIOTIC USE AND RESISTANCE AMONG COMMUNITY PHARMACISTS IN SANA’A (YEMEN)

Authors

  • ADNAN ALADHAL Department of Medicine, Sanaa University, Sanaa City, Republic of Yemen https://orcid.org/0009-0008-5772-2828
  • ALI A. AL-MEHDAR Department of Medicine, Thamar University, Thamar, Republic of Yemen
  • ALI SALMAN AL-SHAMI Department of Medicine, Sanaa University, Sanaa City, Republic of Yemen. Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, Lebanese International University, Sana’a, Republic of Yemen. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7135-5111
  • ASMA AHMED ALWAN Department of Medicine, Sanaa University, Sanaa City, Republic of Yemen
  • ZAID ABDO THAWABA Department of Medicine, Sanaa University, Sanaa City, Republic of Yemen
  • NAJIB FAISAL AHMED Department of Medicine, Sanaa University, Sanaa City, Republic of Yemen

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.22159/ajpcr.2025v18i3.53629

Keywords:

Knowledge, Attitude, Practice, Community Pharmacist, Antibiotic, Antibiotic, Resistance

Abstract

Objectives: This study aims to assess pharmacists’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding over-the-counter antimicrobial use and antimicrobial resistance.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional descriptive study using a self-administered questionnaire for pharmacists in Sana’a city, Yemen.

Results: An arithmetic mean of 2.5 and a standard deviation of 1.25 rated the level of knowledge among community pharmacists in Sana’a, Yemen, concerning antibiotic use and resistance as low. We rated the attitudes toward antibiotic use and resistance among community pharmacists in Sana’a, Yemen, at a medium level, with an arithmetic mean of 3.18 and a standard deviation of 1.25. In addition, we rated the rate of practices concerning antibiotic use and resistance among community pharmacists in Sana’a (Yemen) as medium, with an arithmetic mean of 2.7 and a standard deviation of 1.08. We observed no notable differences in age, educational level, or years of experience among community pharmacists; however, we identified a significant difference in gender at a level of 0.003. There is no significant correlation between the age, educational level, years of experience, gender, and knowledge variables of community pharmacists. There exists a notable correlation between gender and attitude, alongside a weak inverse correlation between gender and practice variables.

Conclusion: Community pharmacists in Sana’a, Yemen, rated their knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding antibiotic use and resistance poorly, with an arithmetic mean of 2.5 and a standard deviation of 1.25. Community pharmacists in Sana’a, Yemen, assessed their attitudes toward antibiotic use and resistance as moderate, with a mean score of 3.18 and a standard deviation of 1.25. Ultimately, at the 0.05 significance level, there is no statistically significant correlation between the average responses of community pharmacists regarding the research variables (age, educational level, years of experience, gender) and their association with knowledge variables. We observe a statistically significant correlation between the gender variable and attitude, with a significance level of 0.005. A weak inverse correlation exists between gender and practice variables. A statistically significant correlation exists between knowledge and practice.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

World Health Organization. Global Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance System (GLASS) Report: Early Implementation 2017- 2018; 2018.

Martens E, Demain AL. The antibiotic resistance crisis, with a focus on the United States. J Antibiot (Tokyo). 2017;70(5):520-6. doi: 10.1038/ ja.2017.30, PMID 28246379

Pourmand A, Mazer-Amirshahi M, Jasani G, May L. Emerging trends in antibiotic resistance: Implications for emergency medicine. Am J Emerg Med. 2017;35(8):1172-6. doi: 10.1016/j.ajem.2017.03.010, PMID 28302376

Seale AC, Gordon NC, Islam J, Peacock SJ, Scott JA. AMR Surveillance in low and middle-income settings-a roadmap for participation in the global antimicrobial surveillance system (GLASS). Wellcome Open Res. 2017;2:92. doi: 10.12688/wellcomeopenres.12527.1, PMID 29062918

Tevatia S, Chaudhry S, Rath R, Dodwad V. A questionnaire based survey on knowledge, attitude and practice of antibiotics among dental and paramedical students-a cross sectional survey. World J Pharm Pharm Sci. 2016;5(5):1205-16.

Chang J, Ye D, Lv B, Jiang M, Zhu S, Yan K, et al. Sale of antibiotics without a prescription at community pharmacies in urban China: A multicentre cross-sectional survey. J Antimicrob Chemother. 2017;72(4):1235-42. doi: 10.1093/jac/dkw519, PMID 28062684

Fathi I, Sameh O, Abu-Ollo M, Naguib A, Alaa-Eldin R, Ghoneim D, et al. Knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs regarding antimicrobial therapy and resistance among physicians in Alexandria University teaching hospitals and the associated prescription habits. Microb Drug Resist. 2017;23(1):71-8. doi: 10.1089/mdr.2015.0279, PMID 27092847

Resistance WA. Multi-country Public Awareness Survey. Vol. 9. Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organization; 2015. p. 59.

Kotwani A, Wattal C, Joshi PC, Holloway K. Irrational use of antibiotics and role of the pharmacist: An insight from a qualitative study in New Delhi, India. J Clin Pharm Ther. 2012;37(3):308-12. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2710.2011.01293.x, PMID 21883328

Morgan DJ, Okeke IN, Laxminarayan R, Perencevich EN, Weisenberg S. Non-prescription antimicrobial use worldwide: A systematic review. Lancet Infect Dis. 2011;11(9):692-701. doi: 10.1016/S1473-3099(11)70054-8, PMID 21659004

Hadi MA, Karami NA, Al-Muwalid AS, Al-Otabi A, Al-Subahi E, Bamomen A, et al. Assessment of knowledge, attitude and practice towards dispensing of antibiotics and over the counter drugs among community pharmacists in Guntur, Andhra Pradesh. Int J Infect Dis. 2016;47:95-100. doi: 10.1016/j.ijid.2016.06.003, PMID 27343987

Amin ME, Amine A. Perspectives of pharmacy staff on dispensing subtherapeutic doses of antibiotics: A theory informed qualitative study. Int J Clin Pharm. 2017;39(5):1110-8. doi: 10.1007/s11096-017-0510-y, PMID 28714040

Sabry NA, Farid SF, Dawoud DM. Antibiotic dispensing in Egyptian community pharmacies: An observational study. Res Social Adm Pharm. 2014;10(1):168-84. doi: 10.1016/j.sapharm.2013.03.004, PMID 23665078

Marnoor SA. Formulation and evaluation of mucoadhesive buccal patches of terbutaline sulphate. Res J Pharm Dosage Forms Technol. 2017;9(4):143-6. doi: 10.5958/0975-4377.2017.00023.4

World Health Organization. Global Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2015.

Yüce A. Antimikrobik ilaçlara direnç kazanma mekanizmalar›. Klimik Derg. 2001;14(2):41-6.

Gold HS, Moellering RC Jr. Antimicrobial-drug resistance. N Engl J Med. 1996;335(19):1445-53. doi: 10.1056/NEJM199611073351907, PMID 8875923

Huang Y, Gu J, Zhang M, Ren Z, Yang W, Chen Y, et al. Antimicrobial-drug resistance. BMC Med Educ. 2013;13:163. doi: 10.1186/1472- 6920-13-163, PMID 24321449

Shah SJ, Ahmad H, Rehan RB, Najeeb S, Mumtaz M, Jilani MH, et al. Self-medication with antibiotics among non-medical university students of Karachi: A cross-sectional study. BMC Pharmacol Toxicol. 2014;15:74. doi: 10.1186/2050-6511-15-74, PMID 25534613

El-Nimr NA, Wahdan IM, Wahdan AM, Kotb RE. Self-medication with drugs and complementary and alternative medicines in Alexandria, Egypt: Prevalence, patterns and determinants. East Mediterr Health J. 2015;21(4):256-65. doi: 10.26719/2015.21.4.256, PMID 26077520

Almaaytah A, Mukattash TL, Hajaj J. Dispensing of non-prescribed antibiotics in Jordan. Patient Prefer Adherence. 2015;9:1389-95. doi: 10.2147/PPA.S91649, PMID 26491267

Rehman IU, Asad MM, Bukhsh A, Ali Z, Ata H, Dujaili JA, et al. Knowledge and Practice of pharmacists toward antimicrobial stewardship in Pakistan. Pharmacy (Basel). 2018;6(4):116. doi: 10.3390/pharmacy6040116, PMID 30360517

Haddadin RN, Alsous M, Wazaify M, Tahaineh L. Evaluation of antibiotic dispensing practice in community pharmacies in Jordan: A cross sectional study. PLoS One. 2019;14(4):e0216115. doi: 10.1371/ journal.pone.0216115, PMID 31034528

Bin Abdulhak AA, Altannir MA, Almansor MA, Almohaya MS, Onazi AS, Marei MA, et al. Non prescribed sale of antibiotics in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: A cross sectional study. BMC Public Health. 2011;11(1):538. doi: 10.1186/1471-2458-11-538, PMID 21736711

Rogers Van Katwyk S, Jones SL, Hoffman SJ. Non prescribed sale of antibiotics in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: A cross sectional study. Hum Resour Health. 2018;16(1):9. doi: 10.1186/s12960-018-0270-3, PMID 29402327

Published

07-03-2025

How to Cite

ADNAN ALADHAL, et al. “ASSESSMENT OF KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDES, AND PRACTICES REGARDING ANTIBIOTIC USE AND RESISTANCE AMONG COMMUNITY PHARMACISTS IN SANA’A (YEMEN)”. Asian Journal of Pharmaceutical and Clinical Research, vol. 18, no. 3, Mar. 2025, pp. 136-42, doi:10.22159/ajpcr.2025v18i3.53629.

Issue

Section

Original Article(s)