Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2021 Jun;21(2):576-584.
doi: 10.4314/ahs.v21i2.12.

Community pharmacists' management of self-limiting infections: a simulation study in Akwa Ibom State, South-South Nigeria

Richard Mary Akpan  1 , Emmanuel Imo Udoh  1 , Samuel Emediong Akpan  1 , Chioma Cynthia Ozuluoha  1
Affiliations

Community pharmacists' management of self-limiting infections: a simulation study in Akwa Ibom State, South-South Nigeria

Richard Mary Akpan et al. Afr Health Sci. 2021 Jun.

Abstract

Background: Inappropriate use of antibiotics, especially for treatment of self-limiting infections remains one of the major drivers of antibiotic resistance (ABR). Community pharmacists can contribute to reducing ABR by ensuring antibiotics are dispensed only when necessary.

Objective: To assess community pharmacists' management of self-limiting infections.

Methods: A purposive sample of 75 pharmacies participated in the study. Each pharmacy was visited by an investigator and a trained simulated patient who mimicked symptoms of common cold and acute diarrhoea, respectively. Interactions between the simulated patient and pharmacist were recorded by the investigator in a data collection form after each visit. Descriptive statistical analysis was carried out. Ethics approval was obtained from the state Ministry of Health Research Ethics Committee.

Results: For common cold, 68% (51/75) of pharmacists recommended an antibiotic. Azithromycin, amoxicillin/clavulanic acid, and sulphamethoxazole/trimethoprim (43%, 24%, 20%, respectively) were the most frequently dispensed agents. For acute diarrhoea, 72% (54/75) of pharmacists dispensed one antibiotic, while 15% dispensed more than one antibiotic. The most frequently dispensed agent was metronidazole (82%), which was dispensed in addition to amoxicillin or tetracycline among pharmacists who dispensed more than one agent. In both infection scenarios, advice on dispensed antibiotics was ofered in 73% and 87% of the interactions, respectively.

Conclusion: This study shows high rate of inappropriate antibiotics dispensing among community pharmacists. There is need for improved awareness of antibiotic resistance through continuing education and training of community pharmacists. Furthermore, the inclusion of antibiotic resistance and stewardship in undergraduate pharmacy curriculum is needed.

Keywords: Antibiotics; acute diarrhoea; common cold; community pharmacy; patient simulation; pharmacists.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Antibiotics recommended for common cold
Figure 2
Figure 2
Other recommendations for common cold. MP – Malaria parasite
Figure 3
Figure 3
Antibiotics dispensed/sold for acute diarrhoea
Figure 4
Figure 4
Over-the-counter recommendations for acute diarrhoea
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. Hildreth CJ, Burke AE, Glass RM. Inappropriate Use of Antibiotics. JAMA. 2009;302:816. - PubMed
    1. Barr W, Smith A. Acute Diarrhea in Adults. Am Fam Physician. 2014;89(3):181–189. - PubMed
    1. Lin B, Wu G. Viral gastroenteritis clinical presentation. 2008. [02 September 2020]. https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/176515-clinical.
    1. Holloway K, Dijk L. The world medicines situation 2011: Rational use of medicines. http://apps.who.int/medicinedocs/documents/s20054en/s20054en.pdf.
    1. Alabid AH, Ibrahim MI, Hassali Antibiotics dispensing for URTIs by community pharmacists (CPs) and general medical practitioners in Penang, Malaysia: A comparative study using simulated patients (SPs) J Clin Diagn Res. 2014;8(1):119–123. - PMC - PubMed

MeSH terms

LinkOut - more resources