Misuse of antibiotics in Iraq: Babylon Governorate as a model

The efficacy and easy access to antibiotics have led to their overuse, which allows for the development of resistance to them. This study took Babylon Governorate as a model to prove whether the above hypothesis is true or not. We aimed at exploring whether there are any restrictions for dealing with antibiotics by pharmacists in the Babylon Governorate, at identifying the distribution of pharmacies in Hillah, and at estimating the capability of the health au¬thority to control them. A total of 165 pharmacies were visited in an attempt to purchase antibiotics without a prescrip¬tion. Antibiotics were obtained from 164 pharmacies, and one pharmacy apologized because they did not have the antibiotic. Moreover, a survey was randomly distributed to different pharmacies and pharmacists asking them whether they sell antibiotics without prescriptions, and an online questionnaire was distributed to pharmacists and pharmacy students in the Babylon Governorate. The results revealed that the percentage of pharmacies that sell antibiotics without medical prescription is 98%; the remaining 2% belongs to the pharmacies that do not stock these antibiotics. We hypothesize that the main reason for this phenomenon is the chaotic distribution of pharmacies in the Governorate, and the lack of supervision by the authorities. Mapping has revealed a random distribution of pharmacies in Hillah, which is performed in an unscientific manner without taking into account whether these areas need pharmacies or not. Moreover, the lack of supervision by the Government and the health syndicates allows for antibiotics to be largely dispensed in the pharmacies without a medical prescription.