Prevalence of antibiotic misuse among the general public in Libya: a cross-sectional study

Antibiotic misuse is a global issue, especially in developing nations. It has a potentially serious effect, as it leads to the development of antibiotic resistance. This study aims to identify the prevalence of six types of antibiotic misuse and associated factors of use and misuse among the public in Tripoli City, Libya, using a descriptive cross-sectional approach. A validated questionnaire was distributed to a convenience sample of 640 individuals. The response rate was 93.8%. Antibiotics were used by 47.5% (n=285, 95% CI: 43.5-51.5) of the participants in the previous two months. The prevalence of specific antibiotic misuse behaviours included using without medical consultation (27.4%, n=78/285, 95% CI: 22.5-32.9), terminating the course early (24.9%, n=71/285, 95% CI: 19.9-29.9), keeping leftovers for next use (36.1%, n=103/285, 95% CI: 30.5-41.7), throwing leftovers in garbage (21.8%, n=62/285, 95% CI: 17-26.6), compensating for a missed dose by increasing the next dose (2.4%, n=4/170, 95% CI: 0.1-4.5), and self-adjusting the dose by either taking more or less than the recommended dose (14.4%, n=41/285, 95% CI: 10.3-18.5). The recent antibiotic use was significantly associated with the employment status, the frequency of seeking physician consultation, and the practice of receiving a prescription by phone. In contrast, overall antibiotic misuse (any type) was significantly associated with the frequency of seeking physician consultation. There is a need to review the accessibility of antibiotics in pharmacies and to improve the quality of medical consultations.