Survey on Antibiotics - Usage Patterns, Perceptions, Common Side Effects and Knowledge and General Awareness on Antibiotic Resistance

Antibiotic use in India has risen sharply, with about a 30% increase in their per capita use during the past decade. There is a significant amount of antibiotic abuse, self-medication, myths, and so on among the locals, which has led to the global problem of antibiotic resistance. As a result, the aim of this study was to assess the general public's level of knowledge and general awareness about antibiotics and its resistance. Questionnaire was designed as per our aim and was circulated randomly between 11th of February, 2021 and the 4th of March, 2021. The responses provided in the spreadsheet were later classified based on the demographic factors considered in our analysis. Later, feedback for proper practices was sent via email to their provided email address. Response rate: 95% (n=380/400) was achieved. According to the outcomes we obtained, the majority of respondents (290 out of 380) had learned of an antibiotic from a doctor or other medical professional. When asked to choose antibiotics from a list of medications, the Science stream had a higher proportion of correct responses. A substantial portion of the population had the misconceptions that taking antibiotics would weaken their bodies (n=142/380) or that antibiotics could differentiate between beneficial and harmful bacteria (n=136/380). The majority of allergies in the general population were caused by Sulpha-containing antibiotics, accounting for 55% of all allergy cases. According to the report, more than half of the population, or 69%, decided to discontinue after experiencing side effects. Respondents were asked if they knew about the antibiotic resistance to evaluate whether they are having the correct knowledge. Out of n=380 respondents, n=273 chose the correct choice. When asked whether acne medication causes resistance, only 19% chose the correct response, i.e. ‘Yes.' When asked about their views on preventing antibiotic resistance, n=244/380 responded to 'Safe food consumption and preparation,' n=152/380 responded to 'Know the signs,' and n=160/380 responded to 'Prevent infections’, all of which are right practices. Considerable part of the population is unaware about the antibiotic resistance problem which is now a global issue. Substantial part of the population is unaware about the practices to be followed to control this problem. Hence, there is dire need to spread awareness regarding the same.