Antibiotic stewardship program in Pakistan: a multicenter qualitative study exploring medical doctors' knowledge,...

Area of Science:

• Medical Science
• Infectious Diseases
• Public Health

Background:

• Antibiotic resistance is a growing global threat.
• Antibiotic stewardship programs (ASP) are crucial for combating resistance.
• Physician knowledge, perspectives, and practices are key to effective ASP.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore physicians' knowledge, perspectives, and practices related to antibiotic stewardship.
• To identify factors influencing antibiotic prescribing practices and antibiotic resistance.
• To understand barriers and facilitators for successful ASP implementation.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative study using 17 semi-structured, in-depth interviews with physicians.
• Convenient sampling and thematic analysis were employed.
• Data collected from three tertiary care public sector hospitals.

Main Results:

• Physicians exhibited misconceptions about rational antibiotic use and poor perception of ASP.
• Limited ASP activities and hospital strategies for antibiotic distribution were noted.
• Key themes included perceptions of antibiotic use, prescription practices, resistance, hospital strategies, and ASP implementation barriers/suggestions.

Conclusions:

• Poor physician knowledge of ASP, lack of hospital antibiograms, and absence of safe antibiotic use regulations drive irrational prescribing and antibiotic resistance.
• Successful ASP implementation requires guidelines, legislation, healthcare professional involvement, and public awareness.
• Addressing these factors is essential to mitigate the escalating threat of antibiotic resistance.