Assessment of the Knowledge and Self-medication Practices towards Antibiotics among Future Healthcare Professionals in Ajman, United Arab Emirates

ABSTRACT

Objectives:The aim of the study is to assess the knowledge and self-medication behavior among healthprofessionsstudents regarding antibiotic usage.Methods:A cross-sectional study was performed using a self-administrated questionnaire. A sample of 424 questionnaireswas distributed randomly among health science students of a medical university in Ajman, UAE.The questionnaire is categorized into three sections which are Socio-demographic details of the participant, knowledge and self-medication practice of antibiotic.The data was entered in MS Excel spread sheet and analyzed as per the study objectives Key Findings:Upon assessing the knowledgeof respondents,authors found85.8% of the students were familiar with the term ‘antibiotic resistance’.Half ofthe students agreedthat antibiotics treat common cold quickly.Regarding the self-medication practices,55.6% (n=236) of students reported that they always take antibioticwithout prescription. Cold and flu was the common reason for using antibiotics. Augmentin (amoxicillin and clavulanic acid) was the common medication used among the students. Nearly one third of the respondents (32.78%;n=139)saved theantibiotics in case of reinfection.Conclusions:In conclusion,antibiotic usage was common among study respondents. Preventive strategies, antibiotic stewardship programs, training, education programs and more restriction towards antibiotic dispensing should be implementedto avoid the misuse and antibiotic resistance.