KNOWLEDGE AND PRACTICE OF COMMUNITY PHARMACISTS REGARDING ANTIBIOTIC DISPENSING WITHOUT PRESCRIPTION

Abstract

Dispensing antibiotics without a prescription remains common in community pharmacies in many countries and adds to antimicrobial resistance. This review summarises published surveys, simulated-client studies, qualitative work and intervention trials on what community pharmacists know about antibiotics, how they behave when asked for them without a prescription, and why. It covers the extent of the practice, knowledge and attitude findings, commercial, regulatory and patient-related drivers, consequences, and interventions that have been tried. The review reports no new survey or data. Published work shows frequent dispensing despite reasonable knowledge, so knowledge alone does not explain behaviour, and rigorous evaluations of interventions remain few.