Over-the-counter antibiotic dispensing: knowledge and practice of community pharmacists in the United Arab Emirates

This paper aimed to assess the knowledge and practice of community pharmacists in regard to dispensing over-the-counter (OTC) antibiotics with the aim of bringing their professional knowledge up to date and promoting best practices to optimize the use of antibiotics and slow the rise in resistance. A cross-sectional descriptive study design was used to assess the knowledge and practice of community pharmacists towards OTC Antibiotic Dispensing. Participants were issued an invitation through verified and official WhatsApp and Facebook accounts of community pharmacists residing in the United Arab Emirates to fill in a validated-web-based questionnaire. The questionnaire was composed of four sections. It aimed to gather basic demographic data, and address knowledge and practice amongst pharmacists of dispensing OTC antibiotics. Data were analysed using SPSS version 26. A total number of 438 participating community pharmacists in the study completed the whole questionnaire. The average knowledge score was 68.6% with a 95% confidence interval (CI) of [66.9%, 70.2%]. The average practice score was 71.4% with a 95% confidence interval (CI) of [69.5%, 73.2%]. It is recommended that several interventions are launched to promote improved prescribing behaviour, particularly ensuring that all pharmacies receive standardized guidelines on antibiotic use and inviting pharmacists to workshops and other training programmes dedicated to promoting rational drug use. Moreover, regulatory bodies must devise, enforce and monitor the implementation of policies governing how antibiotic prescriptions and patient consultations are managed by community pharmacists.