Knowledge, attitude, and practices of community pharmacy staff toward antimicrobial stewardship programs: a cross-sectional study from Northeastern China

Abstract

Background: Antimicrobial resistance is one of the most significant challenges of the twenty-first century, and the illegal sale of antimicrobial drugs at community pharmacies is a driver of antimicrobial resistance. This study explores the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of pharmacy staff toward antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs). Methods: We conducted a descriptive cross-sectional study among community pharmacy staff in Northeastern China, from April 1 to 31 May 2019, using a self-administered KAP questionnaire comprising 20 items. The data analysis was carried out by employing Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis tests. Results: A response rate of 98.5% (394/400) was obtained. The majority of participants (94.9%) demonstrated a good understanding of antimicrobial use, but they lacked an adequate understanding of ASPs. Nearly half of the participants (40.6%) reported that they sold antimicrobials to patients without a prescription. Education level, age, occupation, and experience were all significantly associated (P < 0.05) with participants' median ASPs scores. Besides, the presence of a licensed pharmacist (OR 46.327, 95% CI 2.443-878.451, P = 0.011) was the main factor associated with the pharmacy staff's understanding of antimicrobial use policies. Conclusions: The participants' knowledge of antimicrobials was good, and their attitudes regarding ASPs were positive, but their practices regarding ASPs were poor.

Are We Making the Most of Community Pharmacies? Implementation of Antimicrobial Stewardship Measures in Community Pharmacies: A Narrative Review

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“…Also, in low-middle income countries, deaths due to chronic diseases are a serious concern [3]. The mortality in low-middle income countries can be reduced by running public health programs where different stakeholders of the society participate to create awareness among the public about the myths of infectious and non-infectious diseases [4,5].…”

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