Introduction: The burden of antibiotic self-medication (ASM) is increasing and becoming a global health threat due to antibiotics resistance. However, little is known about ASM among undergraduate pharmacy students who are the future custodians of medicines including antibiotics. Therefore, this study aims to develop, validate and utilize an online survey tool to investigate the prevalence of ASM among undergraduate pharmacy students in Northern Nigeria. Methods: A cross-sectional online survey form was developed, validated by face validity, content validity, and pilot study. The hyperlink to the online survey form was shared with undergraduate pharmacy students in northern Nigeria via WhatsApp, Facebook, and Twitter. Data were collected from eligible participants and analyzed using descriptive statistic. Results: A total of 217 students responded to the online survey, with a completion rate of 100%. Of the total number of respondents, 200 (92.2%) reported practicing ASM at least once in their lifetime. The major reasons for ASM were previous knowledge (40.4%) and having no time to see a doctor or pharmacist (27.5%). Amoxicillin (32.6%), Amoxicillin/ Clavulanic acid (32.1%), Ampicillin/Cloxacillin (21.7%) and Ciprofloxacin (22.6%) were the most commonly implicated antibiotics in ASM. Cough, diarrhea, typhoid, and wound were the most frequently involved conditions. Patent medicine vendors (75.4%) and community pharmacies (29.4%) were the common source of antibiotics subjected to ASM. Conclusion: A research tool to assess ASM among undergraduate pharmacy students has been developed, validated and utilized. The prevalence of ASM is high among undergraduate pharmacy students in Northern Nigeria. Interventions to improve knowledge and awareness on ASM are needed among undergraduate pharmacy students to ensure antibiotic stewardship.

The optimal provision of pharmaceutical care services requires an adequate number of pharmacists, satellite pharmacies and service units at healthcare facilities. We examined the availability of these requirements at Nigerian hospitals using the 2016 nationwide inspection reports of hospital pharmacies conducted by the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria. Records of 254 hospitals inspected were retrieved, of which 171 (67.3%) were public. The total number of pharmacists across facilities was 753. The most common satellite pharmacy units recorded were antiretroviral 80 (31.5%) and emergency departments 48 (18.8%). The most common service units were drug revolving funds 176 (69.3%) and drug information 112 (44.1%) units. These findings suggest the availability of pharmacists, satellite pharmacies and service units are inadequate for the optimal delivery of pharmaceutical care services at healthcare facilities in Nigeria. Therefore, there is a need for interventions to improve the provision of pharmaceutical care services at health care facilities in Nigeria.