Antibiotic dispensation by Lebanese pharmacists: A comparison of higher and lower socio-economic levels

Introduction: Indiscriminate use of antibiotics contributes to a global spread of antimicrobial resistance. Previous studies showed an excessive consumption of antibiotics purchased without medical prescription from community pharmacies, mainly in developing countries. There is a shortage of studies revealing the role of community pharmacists in the overuse of antibiotics. Our objective is to study the dispensing policy of non-medical prescription antibiotics in community pharmacies, assessing the possible influence of the socio-economic level of the area over this practice. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted between February and May 2011 among 100 pharmacists working in Beirut's pharmacies and its suburbs. Pharmacies were divided into 2 groups according to the socio-economic level of the population living in the pharmacy area. A self-administered questionnaire was filled by pharmacists. Results: Over-the-counter antibiotic availability existed in both higher and lower socio-economic areas: on the whole, 32% of antibiotics were dispensed without medical prescription, with higher frequency in lower socio-economic areas (p = 0.003). Dispensing injectable antibiotics without medical prescription was significantly higher in lower socio-economic areas (p = 0.021), as well as dispensing an association of 2 antibiotics without medical prescription (p = 0.001). Pharmacists working in lower socio-economic areas recommended more frequent antibiotics to children and the elderly (p < 0.001 and p = 0.004, respectively). Conclusion: Dispensing antibiotics without medical prescription in Beirut community pharmacies is a common practice, particularly in lower socioeconomic areas. This public health problem should be addressed at the social, educational, and legislative levels. (C) 2014 King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.