Over-the-counter antibiotic dispensing: knowledge and practice of community pharmacists in the United Arab Emirates.

This article focuses on assessing the knowledge and practice of community pharmacists in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) regarding the dispensing of over-the-counter (OTC) antibiotics. Using a cross-sectional web-based survey of 438 pharmacists, the study found average knowledge and practice scores of 68.6% and 71.4%, respectively, with most pharmacists demonstrating acceptable levels. Factors positively associated with better knowledge and practice included female gender, postgraduate education, working in chain pharmacies, and younger age, while longer years of experience correlated with poorer knowledge and practice. The study identified key reasons for OTC antibiotic dispensing such as patient inability to afford physician visits, limited healthcare access, and pharmacists’ confidence in their expertise, and recommended standardized guidelines, enhanced training, and stricter regulatory enforcement to promote rational antibiotic use and combat antimicrobial resistance.