Factors Influencing Access To Non-Prescribed Antibiotics From Community Pharmacies In Osu, Greater Accra

ABSTRACT Background: In Ghana, antibiotics are largely available in communities and may be obtained without a medical prescription amidst an inability to implement an existing policy on Infection Prevention and Control. Scanty data exists on their consumption in Ghana and in Sub-Saharan Africa, especially within communities. Objective: This study assessed the predisposing, reinforcing and enabling factors influencing access to non-prescribed antibiotics from community pharmacies in Osu, Greater Accra Region. Methods: Clients were consecutively included in exit interviews from the six pharmacies within the study location to obtain a sample size of 300. Staff surveys were used to describe the dispensing behaviour of thirty-one pharmacy staff purposively selected from the same pharmacies in Osu. Chi square tests and logistic regression was used to demonstrate the direction and magnitude of associations between the factors and the corresponding outcome of interest (use of non-prescribed antibiotics) for the client survey only. Cross tabulation of proposed factors with the dispensing of non-prescribed antibiotics was carried out for the staff survey without further analysis. Results: The proportion of clients to have used non-prescribed antibiotics within the past 6 months was 51.7% while that of staff to have dispensed non-prescribed antibiotics was 83.9%. Clients who perceived the availability of non-prescribed antibiotics from pharmacies were the most likely to use non-prescribed antibiotics (p