The practice and knowledge among community pharmacists about dispensing antibiotics in Egypt; a cross-sectional study

Background: Antibiotics dispensing without prescription is a common practice in some countries causing several health-related issues such as microbial resistance. Aim: This study aims to assess the level of practices and knowledge among community pharmacists about antibiotic dispensing in some Egyptian governorates’ pharmacies. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out using an online questionnaire to different 5 Egyptian governorates during a period from 28th January to 3rd March 2024. Results: A total of 117 community pharmacists from different community pharmacies participated in the study from different Egyptian governorates with the majority (44.4%) from Cairo. A majority (73.5%) were readily aware that dispensing antibiotics without a prescription is legal in Egypt. Additionally, 94% indicated that dispensing antibiotics without a prescription is a common practice in community pharmacies in Egypt, the most common class (59%) of antibiotics dispensed without a prescription was Penicillin, followed by Cephalosporins with 44.4%, about69.2% of community pharmacists occasionally provide antibiotics without a prescription when requested by a patient. Additionally, 60.7% suggest over-the-counter drugs for patients showing infection symptoms without needing antibiotics, and approximately 84.6% inquire about patients' allergy history before giving out antibiotics without a prescription. Conclusion: The level of knowledge among community pharmacists is high referring to some practices related to antibiotic dispensing with most responses revealing that dispensing antibiotics without a prescription is legal in Egypt.