Self-Medication with Antibiotic amongst Adults Attending Community Pharmacies in Mukalla District, Yemen

The objective of current study was to study the prevalence of self-medication with antibiotics among adult people in Mukalla district. A cross-sectional survey was conducted over 4 months. Eight community pharmacies were selected. Face to face interview utilizing a structured questionnaire was used to collect data from consumers seeking self-medication with antibiotic in the selected pharmacies. The conditions for which antibiotics were taken included wounds (38.8%), tonsillitis and pharyngitis (30%), fever (11.2%), abdominal pain (7.2%), and toothache (6.5%). The major reasons given for self-medication with antibiotics were financial constraints (32.8%), previous experience of using particular antibiotic (29.7%). The most common reported antibiotic used for self-medication was the beta-lactams amoxicillin (52.3%) followed by ampicillin (20%). The prevalence of self-medication with antibiotics among patients attending community pharmacies is high. Educational health programs are needed to teach patients about the potential problems of self-medication with antibiotics.