Dispensing of antibiotics without prescription and associated factors in drug retail outlets of Eritrea: A simulated client method.
Dispensing antibiotics without prescription is irrational and can hasten the emergence and spread of antibiotic resistance. This study aims at determining the extent of this practice and its determinants in all drug retail outlets of Eritrea. A cross-sectional simulated client method was used to con...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2020-01-01
|
| Series: | PLoS ONE |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0228013 |
| _version_ | 1818926965453750272 |
|---|---|
| author | Merhawi Bahta Sirak Tesfamariam Dawit G Weldemariam Hermella Yemane Eyasu H Tesfamariam Tesfamariam Alem Mulugeta Russom |
| author_facet | Merhawi Bahta Sirak Tesfamariam Dawit G Weldemariam Hermella Yemane Eyasu H Tesfamariam Tesfamariam Alem Mulugeta Russom |
| author_sort | Merhawi Bahta |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Dispensing antibiotics without prescription is irrational and can hasten the emergence and spread of antibiotic resistance. This study aims at determining the extent of this practice and its determinants in all drug retail outlets of Eritrea. A cross-sectional simulated client method was used to conduct the study. Data was collected between July and August 2019, entered and analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Science version 22. Descriptive analysis was performed using mean (standard deviation), median (interquartile range), frequency, percentage, as appropriate, for independent variables. Logistic regression, at bivariate and multivariate levels, along with odds ratio (95% confidence interval) was used to determine the association between the dispensing of antibiotics without prescription and independent variables. P-values less than 0.05 were considered as statistically significant. The extent of dispensing antibiotics without prescription was found to be 87.6% with the most frequently dispensed antibiotics being ciprofloxacin (47.8%) and co-trimoxazole (37.5%). Furthermore, 12.4% of the drug retail outlet attendants did not dispense antibiotics because they preferred a referral to health facilities (52.6%), were following administrative restrictions not to sell antibiotics (42.1%), or did not have the necessary antibiotics (31.6%). Private community pharmacies (AOR = 7.68, 95% CI: 1.67, 35.37; p = 0.009) and private drug shops (AOR = 10.65, 95% CI: 1.96, 57.93; p = 0.006) were more likely to dispense antibiotics compared to the governmental community pharmacies. Dispensing antibiotics without prescription was more likely to occur in the Maekel (central) region (AOR = 3.76, 95% CI: 1.19, 11.92; p = 0.024) compared to the remaining regions combined. In conclusion, the sales of antibiotics without prescription in the drug retail outlets of Eritrea is alarming which requires immediate attention from policymakers. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-20T03:05:30Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-10ca09cd644f4e5eb6229ed782b530dc |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1932-6203 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-20T03:05:30Z |
| publishDate | 2020-01-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PLoS ONE |
| spelling | doaj.art-10ca09cd644f4e5eb6229ed782b530dc2022-12-21T19:55:37ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032020-01-01151e022801310.1371/journal.pone.0228013Dispensing of antibiotics without prescription and associated factors in drug retail outlets of Eritrea: A simulated client method.Merhawi BahtaSirak TesfamariamDawit G WeldemariamHermella YemaneEyasu H TesfamariamTesfamariam AlemMulugeta RussomDispensing antibiotics without prescription is irrational and can hasten the emergence and spread of antibiotic resistance. This study aims at determining the extent of this practice and its determinants in all drug retail outlets of Eritrea. A cross-sectional simulated client method was used to conduct the study. Data was collected between July and August 2019, entered and analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Science version 22. Descriptive analysis was performed using mean (standard deviation), median (interquartile range), frequency, percentage, as appropriate, for independent variables. Logistic regression, at bivariate and multivariate levels, along with odds ratio (95% confidence interval) was used to determine the association between the dispensing of antibiotics without prescription and independent variables. P-values less than 0.05 were considered as statistically significant. The extent of dispensing antibiotics without prescription was found to be 87.6% with the most frequently dispensed antibiotics being ciprofloxacin (47.8%) and co-trimoxazole (37.5%). Furthermore, 12.4% of the drug retail outlet attendants did not dispense antibiotics because they preferred a referral to health facilities (52.6%), were following administrative restrictions not to sell antibiotics (42.1%), or did not have the necessary antibiotics (31.6%). Private community pharmacies (AOR = 7.68, 95% CI: 1.67, 35.37; p = 0.009) and private drug shops (AOR = 10.65, 95% CI: 1.96, 57.93; p = 0.006) were more likely to dispense antibiotics compared to the governmental community pharmacies. Dispensing antibiotics without prescription was more likely to occur in the Maekel (central) region (AOR = 3.76, 95% CI: 1.19, 11.92; p = 0.024) compared to the remaining regions combined. In conclusion, the sales of antibiotics without prescription in the drug retail outlets of Eritrea is alarming which requires immediate attention from policymakers.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0228013 |
| spellingShingle | Merhawi Bahta Sirak Tesfamariam Dawit G Weldemariam Hermella Yemane Eyasu H Tesfamariam Tesfamariam Alem Mulugeta Russom Dispensing of antibiotics without prescription and associated factors in drug retail outlets of Eritrea: A simulated client method. PLoS ONE |
| title | Dispensing of antibiotics without prescription and associated factors in drug retail outlets of Eritrea: A simulated client method. |
| title_full | Dispensing of antibiotics without prescription and associated factors in drug retail outlets of Eritrea: A simulated client method. |
| title_fullStr | Dispensing of antibiotics without prescription and associated factors in drug retail outlets of Eritrea: A simulated client method. |
| title_full_unstemmed | Dispensing of antibiotics without prescription and associated factors in drug retail outlets of Eritrea: A simulated client method. |
| title_short | Dispensing of antibiotics without prescription and associated factors in drug retail outlets of Eritrea: A simulated client method. |
| title_sort | dispensing of antibiotics without prescription and associated factors in drug retail outlets of eritrea a simulated client method |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0228013 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT merhawibahta dispensingofantibioticswithoutprescriptionandassociatedfactorsindrugretailoutletsoferitreaasimulatedclientmethod AT siraktesfamariam dispensingofantibioticswithoutprescriptionandassociatedfactorsindrugretailoutletsoferitreaasimulatedclientmethod AT dawitgweldemariam dispensingofantibioticswithoutprescriptionandassociatedfactorsindrugretailoutletsoferitreaasimulatedclientmethod AT hermellayemane dispensingofantibioticswithoutprescriptionandassociatedfactorsindrugretailoutletsoferitreaasimulatedclientmethod AT eyasuhtesfamariam dispensingofantibioticswithoutprescriptionandassociatedfactorsindrugretailoutletsoferitreaasimulatedclientmethod AT tesfamariamalem dispensingofantibioticswithoutprescriptionandassociatedfactorsindrugretailoutletsoferitreaasimulatedclientmethod AT mulugetarussom dispensingofantibioticswithoutprescriptionandassociatedfactorsindrugretailoutletsoferitreaasimulatedclientmethod |