Self-medication with antibiotics- a survey among traders in the central business district of Accra, Ghana

Ofori, Sylvia K.; Akowuah, Emmanuel; Babatunde, Doyinsola; Amankwa, Charles; Baiden, Frank

doi:10.1101/2021.10.31.21265726

Cited by 2 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 31 publications

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“…Factors contributing to the irrational use of antibiotics in Ghana include a lack of continuous AMR training, poor AMR knowledge, limited diagnostic services, understaffing and pressure from patients and pharmaceutical companies. This is consistent with other findings reported in Ghana [ 3 , 20 , 21 ].…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 94%

Knowledge, Awareness and Practice with Antimicrobial Stewardship Programmes among Healthcare Providers in a Ghanaian Tertiary Hospital

et al. 2021

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Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a significant problem in global health today, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) where antimicrobial stewardship programmes are yet to be successfully implemented. We established a partnership between AMR pharmacists from a UK NHS hospital and in Ho Teaching Hospital with the aim of enhancing antimicrobial stewardship knowledge and practice among healthcare providers through an educational intervention. We employed a mixed-method approach that included an initial survey on knowledge and awareness before and after training, followed by qualitative interviews with healthcare providers conducted six months after delivery of training. This study was carried out in two phases in Ho Teaching Hospital with healthcare professionals, including pharmacists, medical doctors, nurses and medical laboratory scientists. Ethical approval was obtained prior to data collection. In the first phase, we surveyed 50 healthcare providers, including nurses (33%), pharmacists (29%) and biomedical scientists (23%). Of these, 58% of participants had engaged in continuous professional development on AMR/AMS, and above 95% demonstrated good knowledge on the general use of antibiotics. A total of 18 participants, which included four medical doctors, five pharmacists, four nurses, two midwives and three biomedical scientists, were interviewed in the second phase and demonstrated greater awareness of AMS practices, particularly the role of education for patients, as well as healthcare professionals. We found that knowledge and practice with AMS was markedly improved six months after the training session. There is limited practice of AMS in LMICs; however, through AMR-focused training, we demonstrated improved AMS skills and practice among healthcare providers in Ho Teaching Hospital. There is a need for continuous AMR training sessions for healthcare professionals in resource-limited settings.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 94%

Knowledge, Awareness and Practice with Antimicrobial Stewardship Programmes among Healthcare Providers in a Ghanaian Tertiary Hospital

et al. 2021

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Prevalence of self-medication in Ghana: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Opoku

Dwumfour-Asare²,

Agrey-Bluwey

et al. 2023

BMJ Open

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ObjectivesThis study estimates the prevalence of self-medication and provides an understanding of the reasons for self-medication in Ghana through the synthesis of relevant literature.MethodsA comprehensive search was conducted in PubMed, Science Direct and African Journals Online to identify observational studies published from inception to March 2022. Google scholar and institutional websites were searched for grey literature. We included studies reporting primary data on the prevalence and/or reasons for self-medication in Ghana. Random-effects meta-analysis was used to estimate the prevalence of self-medication. Subgroup analysis was performed with the study population (pregnant women, patients and students), geopolitical zone (coastal, middle and northern) and study setting (rural and urban). Using inductive thematic analysis, reasons for self-medication were classified and tallied under key themes.ResultsThirty studies involving 9271 participants were included in this review. The pooled prevalence of self-medication in Ghana was 53.7% (95% CI 46.2% to 61.0%; I²=98.51%, p<0.001). Prevalence of self-medication was highest among pregnant women (65.5%; 95% CI 58.1% to 72.5%; I2=88%), in the middle belt of the country (62.1%; 95% CI 40.9% to 82.0%; I²=98%; p<0.001) and in rural settings (61.2%; 95% CI 36.5% to 84.5%; I²=98%; p<0.001). The most cited reasons for self-medication included long waiting time at health facilities (73.3%), previous use of drugs (66.7%) and the perceived unseriousness of diseases (53.3%).ConclusionThis study has revealed that self-medication is still an unresolved public health challenge in Ghana, with a high prevalence estimate. Self-medication is influenced by inconveniences associated with accessing healthcare coupled with poor health seeking behaviours. There is the need for improved access to quality healthcare and the promotion of appropriate health-seeking behaviours.

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Self-medication with antibiotics- a survey among traders in the central business district of Accra, Ghana

Cited by 2 publications

References 31 publications

Knowledge, Awareness and Practice with Antimicrobial Stewardship Programmes among Healthcare Providers in a Ghanaian Tertiary Hospital

Knowledge, Awareness and Practice with Antimicrobial Stewardship Programmes among Healthcare Providers in a Ghanaian Tertiary Hospital

Prevalence of self-medication in Ghana: a systematic review and meta-analysis

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