Perceptions in the community about the use of antibiotics without a prescription: exploring ideas behind this practice

Autor: Aponte-González, Johanna, González-Acuña, Angélica, Lopez, José, Brown, Paul, Eslava-Schmalbach, Javier
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2019
Předmět:
Psychological intervention
Pharmaceutical Science
lcsh:RS1-441
mesh:Anti-Infective Agents
Pharmacy
Self Medication
mesh:Self Medication
Pharmacists
030226 pharmacology & pharmacy
mesh:Colombia
0302 clinical medicine
7.1 Individual care needs
Anti-Infective Agents
Medicine
mesh:Practice
Prescription Drug Abuse
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Original Research
Practice
Health Knowledge
Substance Abuse
mesh:Attitudes
Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences
Focus Groups
Incentive
Thematic analysis
Infection
Self-medication
mesh:Prescription Drug Misuse
medicine.medical_specialty
Prescription Drug Misuse
mesh:Health Knowledge
mesh:Focus Groups
Colombia
lcsh:Pharmacy and materia medica
03 medical and health sciences
Clinical Research
mesh:Pharmacists
Medical prescription
Health Knowledge Attitudes Practice
Pharmacies
business.industry
mesh:Pharmacies
lcsh:RM1-950
Focus group
lcsh:Therapeutics. Pharmacology
Family medicine
Attitudes
business
Zdroj: Pharmacy Practice (Granada), Volume: 17, Issue: 1, Article number: 1394, Published: 11 NOV 2019
Pharmacy practice, vol 17, iss 1
Pharmacy Practice, Vol 17, Iss 1, p 1394 (2019)
Pharmacy Practice (Granada) v.17 n.1 2019
SciELO España. Revistas Científicas Españolas de Ciencias de la Salud
instname
Pharmacy Practice
Popis: Objective: The use of antibiotics without prescription is common in Colombia as well as in other developing countries. The objective of this study is to explore the attitudes and motivations associated with the use of antibiotics without prescription. Methods: Focus group sessions were held with residents of Bogotá. Different socioeconomic groups were approached to identify possible differences of opinion. A semi-structured interview guide was used to guide the discussion, with thematic analysis used to identify central themes. Results: In total, 21 people, aged between 25 and 50 years participated in four focus groups. The results suggest that the use of antibiotics without prescription is common practice. The main reasons included barriers to access to prescribed medications due to limited health insurance. Even those with adequate access to health insurance report being willing to use a treatment without a prescription if they have confidence in its effectiveness. The relationship with the physician is important, but pharmacy storekeepers are also highly trusted. While some participants understood that antibiotics can cure infections but cause serious adverse events, several misconceptions about antibiotics therapy were identified. These included a lack of knowledge of resistance transmissibility among communities. Conclusions: The results have implications for interventions aimed at reducing inappropriate use of antibiotics, highlighting i) how lack of access to timely care creates an incentive to self-prescribe, ii) the key role that pharmacy storekeepers play in the Colombian healthcare system and the need to include them in interventions, and iii) the misconceptions about inappropriate use of medications that need to be addressed by educational programs. These findings provide insights to other countries where antibiotics misuse is also a problem.
Databáze: OpenAIRE