Self-medication with antibiotics- a survey among traders in the central business district of Accra, Ghana

Background The misuse of antibiotics is a global problem, and the form of misuse varies among different countries and cultures. The study explored antibiotic self-medication practices among traders in Accra, Ghana. Methods: A paper-based questionnaire survey was conducted among traders found in a convenient sample of shops in the Central Business District (CBD) between November 2016 and January 2017. The data was analyzed with Stata version 14.0. Antibiotic self-medication was defined as the use of antibiotics without the prescription of a recognized practitioner within 12 months of the survey. Descriptive analysis and analytical statistics using multivariate logistic regression analysis were performed to identify the factors associated with antibiotic self-medication. Results: Four hundred and seventeen (417) traders (60.0% females) with a mean age of 36 (+10.6) years were surveyed. The prevalence of antibiotic self-medication was 66.7%. Penicillins were the most misused. Upper respiratory infections and gastrointestinal tract infections were the leading reasons for antibiotic self-medication. The most common sources of information on self-medicated antibiotics were community pharmacies (55.2%), doctors (17.8%), and package inserts (17.2%). People with tertiary education were less likely to use antibiotics for self-medication compared to those with no education (OR=0.39 (95% C.I; 0.16-0.98). Persons who sold food items (aOR = 3.56, 95% CI; 1.70-7.45), cosmetics (aOR = 2.61, 95% CI; 1.34-5.09), and clothing (aOR= 3.39, 95% CI; 1.88-6.12) were more likely to use antibiotics for self-medication compared to those who sold other items. Conclusion: Self-medication with antibiotics was high among traders in the CBD of Accra, Ghana. Traders need to be educated on the proper home management of URTIs. Measures are required to restrict their access to antibiotics for self-medication.