Physicians’ attitudes, knowledge, and practices regarding antibiotic prescriptions

• Published in: Journal of global antimicrobial resistance. 2023-03, Vol.32, p.58-65
• Main Authors: Rahbi, Fatma Al, Salmi, Issa Al, Khamis, Faryal, Balushi, Zakaria Al, Pandak, Nenad, Petersen, Eskild, Hannawi, Suad
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Anti-Bacterial Agents - therapeutic use; Anti-Infective Agents; Antimicrobial resistance (AMR); Attitude; Attitudes; Cross-Sectional Studies; Hospitals, Teaching; Humans; Knowledge; Physicians; Practices; Prescriptions
• ISSN: 2213-7165; 2213-7173
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jgar.2022.12.005

•Physicians’ awareness of AMR as a worldwide and national problem was very high.•AMR is a global problem and is a concern for the clinicians own practice or institution.•Physician endorsed that AMR was very important globally and nationally.•Lack of formal education on AMR during their training could account for their inability to assume these tasks. Inappropriate and overuse of antimicrobials, incorrect dosing, and extended duration are some of the leading causes of antibiotic-resistance that have led to the development of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). We aimed to evaluate knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding rational antibiotic prescribing among physicians in a teaching hospital in Oman, with the goal of identifying knowledge gaps and interventions that could lead to judicious use of antimicrobials and reduce the emergence of resistant organisms A cross-sectional study assessing physicians’ knowledge of and attitudes towards prescribing antibiotics was conducted at the Royal Hospital from 15 January to 31 March 2020. Likert scales were used to evaluate physicians’ awareness and perception of personal performance regarding the care of patients with infections and rational use of antibiotics. Inadequate hand washing was regarded as the most important factor contributing to AMR (51.6%), followed by widespread use of antibiotics (49%), prescribing broad-spectrum antibiotics (47.3%), lack of effective narrow-spectrum antibiotics (47.3%), inappropriate duration of antibiotic therapy (46.2%), inappropriate empirical choice of antibiotics (45.1%), poor access to information on local antibiotic resistance patterns (40.8%), and inadequate restrictions on antibiotic prescribing (34.4%). Other factors contributing to AMR such as lack of local hospital guidelines on antibiotic usage, random mutations in microbes, patient demands and expectations for antibiotics, and the role of pharmaceutical companies in advertising and promoting use of antibiotics were deemed important by 33.3%, 26.8%, 22.5% and 20.4%, respectively. AMR is a global health threat with significant effect on the health system and the economy. Misuse and overuse of antimicrobials remain the main drivers for the development of drug-resistant pathogens. Identifying knowledge gaps and planning interventions that could lead to judicious use of antimicrobials including establishing an Antimicrobial Stewardship Program are of paramount importance in reducing AMR in the twenty-first century and bey