[Drug misuse in the community: factors which influence patients to self-prescribe antibiotics]

This study aimed at deepening our knowledge about patients' non-compliance with antibiotic treatment, at determining which patients in our community use antibiotics without consulting a physician and at examining patient characteristics associated with such antibiotic misuse. The study focused on the correlation between self-prescribing antibiotic and socioeconomic and cultural status. Data were obtained by using a questionnaire-based survey and we computed univariate and multivariate analysis using chi-square test and logistic regression model. Of 663 respondents, 18.7% admitted using non-prescribed antibiotics. Multivariate analysis identified four variables associated with self-prescribing antibiotic: age [p= 0.009; for patients aged 25-44 and over 65 OR: 1.87 (95% C.I.: 0.66-5.32) and OR: 0.55 (95% C.I.: 0.17-1.80) respectively], gender [p=0.027; for women OR: 1.67 (95% C.I.: 1.06-2.64)], socioeconomic (p=0.022) and cultural status (p=0.037) where classes associated with high risk are the most elevated [for highest socioeconomic class OR: 3.99 (95% C.I.: 1.47-10.85) and for highest cultural class OR: 1.37 (95% C.I.: 0.65-2.86)]. Our study demonstrates that high socioeconomic and cultural status is associated with self-administering antibiotics. These results can be used to design appropriate interventions and target future educational campaigns to control and correct use of antibiotics.