Abstract

Background: The use of medications in general without a prescription has been noticeably common in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Thereby, this study aimed to identify the adult population's perception of antibiotics prescribed by pharmacists in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, the proportion of the population that has used such antibiotics, and patients' compliance in using these medications.
Methodology: A cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study was conducted among 400 individuals in different parks in Riyadh, based on the convenience sampling technique. Questions about demographics and perceptions regarding the use of antibiotics prescribed by pharmacists were included in the questionnaire.
Results: Around 339 individuals participated in this study. Their age ranged from 18 to 70 years. The sample was equally distributed between females and males. Augmentin was the most commonly used antibiotic (36%), and 43% participants reported that they were allergic to penicillin. Only 42% knew that antibiotics are used primarily to treat bacterial infections.
Conclusion: Most patients still seek medical doctors for antibiotic prescriptions. Those who make use of pharmacists were more likely to be older and male. There is an indication of widespread abuse of antibiotics in Riyadh. This finding is of importance to the Saudi National program with regard to the establishment of strict laws regarding medical prescriptions to lower the prevalence of resistant bacterial infections.

Key words: Antibiotics, pharmacists, Saudi Arabia, Riyadh.