Assessing the Knowledge, Practices and Attitude of Pharmacists, Prescribers and the Community Toward Antimicrobial Resistance in Ghana

Background and Objective: Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) is a burgeoning threat to the interests of public health globally. Significant data indicates that the management of AMR depends on the information and attitudes of the community, as well as those of pharmacists and doctors, therefore this study sought to investigate the knowledge base of the aforementioned groups on AMR. Materials and Methods: Purposive sampling technique was used to gather data from this cross-sectional survey that included 766 participants and three different self-administered questionnaires were given to the randomly selected sample population of 652, 51 and 63 community members, clinicians and pharmacists, respectively. Results: There was a significant association between educational level and whether individuals who consumed antibiotics without a doctor’s prescription reportedly insisted on an antibiotic prescription. Almost half of the respondents acknowledged that they often dispose of antibiotics alongside household waste. The majority of the physicians in this study knew about the nonclinical/environmental routes for the spread of AMR genes and the physicians felt AMR was a problem they encountered daily. Conclusion: This study has identified potential avenues aimed at designing tri-faceted interventions for controlling the development and dissemination of AMR.