Ms. Nastaran Nazrul Tui1
1The University of New South Wales, Canberra, Australia
Biography:
Nastaran is a PhD candidate at the School of Business, UNSW. Her research focuses on optimizing the use of antibiotics in a developing country context. She earned her Master of Marketing Management in 2017 from the University of Canberra and a Bachelor of Business Administration in 2010. Before embarking on her PhD journey, Nastaran was a lecturer in business school at two reputable universities in Bangladesh. Her research interests are in health policy, consumer behaviour and healthcare management.
Abstract:
Antimicrobial resistance, particularly antibiotic resistance, is a growing concern in healthcare. Urgently addressing this public health and economic challenge, the global research agenda on antimicrobial resistance prioritizes 40 topics to guide stakeholders, especially in low- and middle-income countries. In Bangladesh, high antibiotic resistance linked to inappropriate usage poses a severe threat. Understanding human behaviours in antibiotic use is crucial for effective health behaviour change interventions, aiming to optimize usage and reduce mortality.
In 2022, semi-structured, in-depth interviews with twenty physicians from two hospitals in Dhaka, Bangladesh were conducted using a literature-based interview guideline.
Five themes include patients' financial constraints, low physician-patient ratios, an antibiotic resistance knowledge gap, confusion over antibiotic brand authenticity, and easy access to over the counter (OTC) antibiotics. Physicians face time pressure due to low ratios, struggle to guide patients, and economic pressures lead patients to self-purchase antibiotics OTC. The need for more antibiotic use guidelines inhibits consistent procedures for rational use of antibiotics.
This qualitative study highlights a need for proper guidelines and laypeople's knowledge about rational antibiotic use and antibiotic resistance. Physicians express willingness to receive proper training and guidelines. Multidisciplinary initiatives involving physicians, dispensers, hospital authorities, and government agencies are essential to enhance antibiotic use through improved awareness and practices.