Global restriction of the over-the-counter sale of antimicrobials

About 80% of antimicrobial agents are used in the community. These antimicrobial agents are either prescribed by healthcare professionals or directly purchased by consumers without a valid prescription, being known as over-the-counter sales of antimicrobials, commonly through sources such as community pharmacies. While many countries prohibit the sale of over-the-counter antibiotics, more than 50% of antibiotics are globally acquired without a prescription. Two comprehensive studies have examined the extent of over-the-counter antibacterial requests that lead to the non-prescription supply in community pharmacies on a global scale. In the latest study, the authors reviewed 38 studies from 24 different countries, revealing an overall pooled proportion of non-prescription supply of antibiotics of 62% . The issue of over-the-counter antibiotic availability is particularly pronounced in developing countries, such as South America, Africa, and some areas in Asia, where regulations governing the sale and distribution of medicines are either non-existent or inadequately enforced. However, this problem is not confined to these regions alone; even in developed countries, including those in southern Europe, non-prescription antibiotic supply is a concern. Furthermore, in affluent countries, antibiotics can also be sold in community pharmacies without a prescription. Surprisingly, various over-the-counter sore throat lozenges commonly used globally contain locally delivered antibiotics

Antimicrobial · Biology · Antibiotic Use and Resistance · Computer Science · Engineering · Medicine · Pharmaceutical Economics and Policy · Pharmaceutical Quality and Counterfeiting · Microbiology

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