The Dispensing of Non-Prescribed Antibiotics to Pediatrics in Community Pharmacies: A Simulated Client Study

Objective: This study aims to explore the practice of dispensing non-prescribe antibiotics to pediatrics in the community pharmacies in Jordan.
Method: This study was a cross-sectional study, performed between August 2021 and March 2022. Five different clinical case scenarios were simulated including pharyngitis, bronchitis, otitis media, gastroenteritis, and urinary tract infection (UTI). Three levels of demand were used to conceive the pharmacy staff to sell antibiotics.
Results: A total of 207 community pharmacies in Jordan were visited. The majority of pharmacies (n= 163, 78.7%) dispensed antibiotics without a prescription using three levels of demands. Most of the antibiotics dispensed for the pharyngitis case scenarios (95.3%), followed by UTI (89.2%). Among the pharmacists who dispensed antibiotics, 92.0% explained how to take the antibiotic, 41.1% provide the duration of treatment for the dispensed antibiotic, and 27.0% inquired about any type of drug allergy. On the other hand, only 21.3% (n= 44/207) of the pharmacy staff had refused to dispense any type of antibiotics, of those (n= 17/44, 38.6%) recommended consulting a physician, in which health issues were the only reason behind that refusal.
Conclusions: The results of the current study strongly demonstrate that dispensing of non-prescribed antibiotic in pediatric patients is prevalent in Jordan despite the current legislations. The ease of access and the inappropriate overuse of antibiotics confirms the need for stringent enforcement of the existing laws and the establishment of a new regulation regarding the dispensing of antibiotics without a valid prescription in the near future.