# Antimicrobial perceptions and stewardship practices among community pharmacy dispensers in Nepal

## TL;DR

This study examines how community pharmacy dispensers in Nepal perceive and practice antimicrobial stewardship, finding that knowledge is moderate but practices are lacking.

## Contribution

The study provides insights into antimicrobial stewardship practices in Nepal's community pharmacies and identifies factors influencing knowledge and adherence.

## Key findings

- Most dispensers had medium knowledge about antibiotics, but nearly half had low AMS practice scores.
- Positive correlations were found between knowledge and both AMS perception and practice.
- Education level and gender were significantly associated with AMS knowledge and practice.

## Abstract

This study assessed the perception and practice regarding Antimicrobial Stewardship (AMS) and knowledge about antibiotics among Community Pharmacy Dispensers (CPD) in selected municipalities of Kavrepalanchowk district, Nepal.

A cross-sectional study was conducted among CPD of the community pharmacies of Banepa, Dhulikhel, and Panauti in Kavrepalanchowk district, Nepal.

A structured self-administered questionnaire was administered to 58 CPD selected through census sampling technique. The questionnaire comprised of questions assessing the knowledge of antibiotics, perception, and practice regarding AMS. A bivariate analysis was done to determine association between demographic variables and dependent variables.

Majority of respondents (60.3%) had medium level of knowledge regarding antibiotics, 46.6% of the respondents had low practice scores, and 50% of the respondents had positive perceptions of AMS. A positive correlations of knowledge with perception (p = 0.0001) and practice (p = 0.019) was seen. Education level had a significant association with knowledge levels (p = 0.035) and perception about AMS (p = 0.043). A significant association between gender with AMS practice was also observed (p = 0.002).

The practice of AMS in community pharmacies is low despite of medium level of knowledge on antibiotics among the community pharmacy dispensers. Establishing AMS protocols specific to community pharmacies in Nepal can lead to standardized practices and improve adherence to AMS principles.