(278) Patients’ Knowledge, Attitude, And Practices of Self-Medication with Antibiotics

Background: Understanding patients' knowledge, attitudes, and practices concerning self-medication with antibiotics is crucial due to its implications on antibiotic resistance, healthcare costs, and patient safety.

Objectives: The present study aims to examine the practices of self-medication with antibiotics among the general population in Bulgaria.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out using a self-administered pre-validated questionnaire completed by a random convenience sample of 541 persons.

Results: 63.8% of the respondents had taken an antibiotic in the last 6 months, and in 94.8% of cases, the treatment course has lasted up to 10 days. The antibiotic was prescribed by a physician only for 54.3% of the respondents. For the rest, it was recommended by a relative (12.7%), a friend (23.1%), a pharmacist (6.1%), or was available at home (3.5%). A quarter (25.4%) of patients did not complete their prescribed course of antibiotics. 54% of the respondents had poor adherence to therapy. The most common reasons for increasing the dose were that patients felt unwell (24%), did not feel better (13.5%), or wanted to speed up the healing process (10.6%). Respondents reduced the prescribed dose of antibiotics because of concern about side effects (15.5%), forgetting to take the drug (19.6%), and feeling like taking too much medicine (19.6%).

Conclusions: The rate of self-medication with antibiotics in Bulgaria (45.3%) is high and it is mainly due to a lack of control over dispensing practices and the associated ability of patients to obtain an antibiotic without providing a prescription. The high secondary non-adherence expressed as changes in the daily doses is also common and it is a prerequisite for suboptimal clinical outcomes or safety issues.