Practices of community pharmacists toward antimicrobials use and the application of antimicrobial stewardship

Abstract

This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted between August and September 2020 to evaluate the current practice of community pharmacists for antimicrobials and antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) in Jordan and to evaluate factors affecting their application of AMS. For data collection, a validated electronic questionnaire was distributed via social media platforms in Jordan, including WhatsApp and Facebook. During the study period, a total of 200 community pharmacists completed the study questionnaire, with two-thirds of them being female (n = 129, 64.5%). The majority of the respondents (n = 154, 77.0%) claimed to dispense only antimicrobial prescriptions containing all clinical information. More than half of the participants (n = 135, 67%) participate in campaigns related to AMS awareness. Furthermore, the collaboration between pharmacists and the prescriber was done by most of the respondents (n = 170, 85%). Multiple linear regression analysis showed that postgraduate community pharmacists had a lower AMS application score than undergraduate pharmacists (p-value = 0.031). In conclusion, this study highlighted the positive practices of community pharmacists regarding AMS. Improving the collaboration between community pharmacists and other healthcare sectors helps strengthen the rational and appropriate use of antimicrobial agents.