AHRQ-Funded Study Examines Beliefs on Nonprescription Antibiotic Use

An AHRQ-funded project finds widespread misconceptions and problematic behaviors regarding nonprescription antibiotics, highlighting the need for effective antibiotic stewardship programs. The project explored patient beliefs and behaviors related to nonprescription antibiotic use to inform development of effective antibiotic stewardship programs. The authors surveyed 564 patients at six safety-net primary care clinics and two private emergency departments in Houston and Katy, TX, between January 2020 and June 2021. Publications from this project include the following: BMC Primary Care—Researchers asked patients about nonprescription antibiotic use to estimate how effective prior unauthorized use was at predicting future use. The authors’ screening questions may help predict patient use of antibiotics without a prescription. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40234795/ Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy—Researchers asked patients whether they had stopped taking a prior antibiotic prescription early and, if so, about planned future use. The survey on leftover antibiotics revealed a potential source of antibiotic overuse. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38975752/ Antimicrobial Stewardship and Healthcare Epidemiology—The study examined situations that predispose primary care patients to use antibiotics without a prescription. The authors suggested that stewardship interventions should consider the types of situations that drive patients’ decisions to use antibiotics without a prescription. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39257427/ Annals of Family Medicine—Authors asked patients whether antibiotics would help them get better quickly when experiencing one of five common symptoms. The authors conclude that lack of knowledge of antibiotic risks contributes to primary care patients’ expectations of antibiotics for common symptoms. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39313338/ BMJ Public Health—This qualitative study explored factors that influenced patients’ use of unauthorized antibiotic use. The authors found that while barriers to care influence patient decisions to use antibiotics without a prescription, their beliefs regarding the power of antibiotics to relieve many symptoms and patients’ ability to direct their own care are also challenges that should be addressed. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40521333/