Antibiotic Dispensing & Prescription Pattern in Pharmacies of Islamabad & Rawalpindi: Pakistan

Antibiotics were frequently prescribed and dispensed through pharmacies of twin cities without official prescriptions. [...]higher percentage of antibiotics was dispensed per prescription in majority and people tended more towards self-medication because they found it a cheap solution for their health issues. According to a study conducted in Karachi, any drug available in the market can be purchased over the counter without a prescription. According to a study conducted in Faisalabad, significant association of antibiotics cost was found with self medication. 16 A study conducted in Egypt also showed a significant association between self medication and antibiotics price. 1 This shows that antibiotics sell on prescription cost higher to patients as compared to self medicate because it saves both money & time. Limitation This study was conducted in Islamabad & Rawalpindi with relatively much better demographic variables & with improved socioeconomic status so the results of this study cannot be generalized completely to the rest of the country. [...]the study was conducted in a limited time, so the results of this study didn't include the names of frequently prescribed antibiotics & conditions against which the antibiotics were prescribed resulted in prescribing pattern not completely established.