American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon.
University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.
Inquiry. 2023 Jan-Dec;60:469580231167712. doi: 10.1177/00469580231167712.
Antimicrobial resistance is a global public health issue, exacerbated by dispensing and purchasing antibiotics without a prescription, common in low- and middle-income countries, such as Lebanon. This study aimed to (1) describe behavioral patterns underpinning dispensing and purchasing antibiotics without a prescription among pharmacists and patients, (2) describe reasons for, and (3) attitudes toward these behaviors. A cross-sectional study targeted pharmacists and patients, respectively, identified through stratified random sampling and convenience sampling from all 12 Beirut quarters. Questionnaires assessed behavioral patterns, reasons for, and attitudes toward dispensing and purchasing antibiotics without prescription among the 2 samples. A total of 70 pharmacists and 178 patients were recruited. About a third (37%) of pharmacists supported dispensing antibiotics without a prescription, considering it acceptable; 43% of patients report getting antibiotics without a prescription. Reasons for distributing and purchasing antibiotics without prescription include financial costs associated with the drugs and convenience, coupled with inexistent law enforcement. Dispensing antibiotics without prescription was shared among a relatively high proportion of pharmacists and patients residing in Beirut. Dispensing antibiotics without prescription is common in Lebanon, where law enforcement needs to be stronger. National efforts, including anti-AMR campaigns and law enforcement, must be rapidly implemented to avoid the double disease burden, especially when old and new vaccines are available, and superbugs are making preventative public health efforts more difficult.
抗微生物药物耐药性是一个全球公共卫生问题，在黎巴嫩等低收入和中等收入国家，处方配药和购买抗生素的行为普遍存在，这加剧了这一问题。本研究旨在：(1) 描述药剂师和患者在无处方配药和购买抗生素方面的行为模式；(2) 描述这些行为的原因和(3) 对这些行为的态度。一项横断面研究分别针对药剂师和患者进行，通过分层随机抽样和便利抽样从贝鲁特的所有 12 个区识别出这两个样本。问卷评估了这两个样本中无处方配药和购买抗生素的行为模式、原因和态度。共招募了 70 名药剂师和 178 名患者。约三分之一（37%）的药剂师支持无处方配药，认为这是可以接受的；43%的患者报告无需处方就可获得抗生素。开处方和购买抗生素而无需处方的原因包括与药物相关的经济成本和便利性，再加上执法不严。在贝鲁特居住的药剂师和患者中，有相对较高比例的人会开处方而无需处方。在黎巴嫩，无需处方就配药的情况很常见，执法力度需要加强。必须迅速开展国家努力，包括开展抗微生物药物耐药性活动和执法，以避免双重疾病负担，特别是当有新的和旧的疫苗可用，而超级细菌使预防公共卫生工作更加困难时。
