Antibiotics Misuse: trends & attitude among Iraqi physicians

Abstract

Background: Antibiotics Misuse is a worldwide health concern associated with an increased incidence of resistance to antibiotics. Knowledge, attitudes, expectations, and practices of physicians regarding antibiotic prescription are essential to control the irrational use of antibiotics.

Aim of the study: study the knowledge & attitude of Iraqi physicians towards the use of antibiotics.

Methodology: This study is a cross-sectional study and the design used a questionnaire survey involved 350 physicians in Al-Najaf Iraq, 2019. after expert people agreed on the final version of the questionnaire, ethical approval from the faculty of medicine's ethics committee was guaranteed, then the link of the questionnaire was sent to a group of Iraqi physicians residing in Najaf governorate through What's App group made by Najaf chapter of Iraqi medical syndicate and responses were collected automatically by Google form.

Results: 55 out of nearly 350 physicians respond to our questionnaire, 96.5 % of the participants had prescribed antibiotics for their patients; 72.7% they use only one antibiotic there is 21.8% uses two while still there is nearly 2% uses three per prescription. 

Conclusion: Antibiotics highly prescribed among study population. The results highlight the need for training
the health providers on safely antibiotic prescription. There is need for development of national antibiotic
stewardship program and guidance on common infection diagnosis and treatment.

Recommendation: There is a need to set national guidelines for antibiotics prescribing.