Assessing pediatric antibiotic knowledge and practices among community pharmacists in Palestine: implications for
Banan M Aiesh1,2, Salsabeel Saleh2, Nadine Matouk2
1Department of Infection Prevention and Control, An-Najah National University Hospital, Nablus, 44839, Palestine.
Insights
Community pharmacists in Palestine show good knowledge of pediatric antibiotic use, though some gaps exist. Targeted interventions and education are recommended to combat antibiotic resistance and improve pediatric care.
Area of Science:
- Pharmacology
- Public Health
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Antibiotic resistance is a growing global concern, exacerbated by inappropriate use in pediatric populations.
- Developing countries face significant challenges in managing antibiotic resistance.
- Assessing healthcare professionals' knowledge is crucial for effective antibiotic stewardship.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate community pharmacists' knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding appropriate antibiotic use in pediatric patients in Palestine.
- To identify barriers to appropriate antibiotic use in pediatric care within the Palestinian community pharmacy setting.
- To inform the development of targeted interventions to improve antibiotic prescribing and dispensing.
Main Methods:
- A national cross-sectional study utilizing a questionnaire-based survey.
- Data collected from 301 community pharmacists on the West Bank, Palestine (September 2022 - March 2023).
- Assessment included sociodemographic data, knowledge, attitudes, practices, and dosing understanding; data analyzed using descriptive statistics.
Main Results:
- Most pharmacists (80.1%) correctly identified antibiotics for bacterial infections, but 18.3% mistakenly believed they treat viral infections.
- While 61.8% knew antibiotics kill germs, 32.0% were unaware of refrigeration needs for some antibiotics.
- Over 99% recognized antibiotic resistance mechanisms, and knowledge correlated positively with years of experience (P=0.001).
Conclusions:
- Community pharmacists in Palestine demonstrate a generally good understanding of pediatric antibiotic usage.
- Professional expertise and training are vital for enhancing healthcare services in antibiotic management.
- Identifying specific knowledge gaps is essential for developing targeted educational initiatives and antibiotic stewardship programs.
Background:
Antibiotics are widely used in the pediatric population, and their inappropriate use contributes to antibiotic resistance, which is a growing concern in developing countries. Therefore, this national cross-sectional study aimed to assess community pharmacists' knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding appropriate antibiotic use and dosing in pediatric patients and to explore the barriers to such use in Palestine.
Methods:
A questionnaire-based survey was conducted among community pharmacists on the West Bank, Palestine, from September 2022 to March 2023. The survey assessed the pharmacists' sociodemographic characteristics; knowledge, practices, and attitudes toward antibiotic use; and understanding of antibiotic dosing. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, and the factors affecting pharmacists' knowledge were evaluated.
Results:
The study included 301 community pharmacists, with an average age of 30.06 years, who were primarily female (75.1%). The majority of the pharmacists (80.1%) correctly believed that antibiotics are effective against bacterial infections. However, 18.3% believed that antibiotics are effective against viruses. While 61.8% knew that antibiotics kill germs, 32.0% were unaware that not all antibiotics require refrigeration. Furthermore, 67.8% were aware that antibiotics do not speed up recovery from diarrhea. Over 99% of the participants recognized that antibiotic resistance developed due to various resistant mechanisms. The majority (78.7%) believed that each infection needed a different antibiotic. Pharmacists demonstrated reasonable knowledge of antibiotic dosing in case scenarios. Knowledge was positively correlated with years of experience (P = 0.001).
Conclusions:
This study revealed that community pharmacy professionals have a good understanding of antibiotic usage in pediatric patients. The findings suggest that professional expertise and quality training improve healthcare services. However, the results may not be universally applicable, as identifying knowledge gaps is necessary to help with the development of focused interventions. Therefore, ongoing educational initiatives, awareness campaigns and antibiotic stewardship programs are recommended.
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