TY - JOUR
T1 - Antibiotic dispensing practices among informal healthcare providers in low-income and middle-income countries
T2 - A scoping review protocol
AU - Tandan, Meera
AU - Thapa, Poshan
AU - Bhandari, Buna
AU - Gandra, Sumanth
AU - Timalsina, Diwash
AU - Bohora, Shweta
AU - Thapaliya, Swostika
AU - Bhusal, Anupama
AU - Gore, Genevieve C.
AU - Sheokand, Surbhi
AU - Shukla, Prachi
AU - Joshi, Chandrashekhar
AU - Mudgal, Nitin
AU - Pai, Madhukar
AU - Sulis, Giorgia
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2024. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.
PY - 2024/6/19
Y1 - 2024/6/19
N2 - Introduction The rise of antimicrobial resistance represents a critical threat to global health, exacerbated by the excessive and inappropriate dispensing and use of antimicrobial drugs, notably antibiotics, which specifically target bacterial infections. The surge in antibiotic consumption globally is particularly concerning in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs), where informal healthcare providers (IPs) play a vital role in the healthcare landscape. Often the initial point of contact for healthcare-seeking individuals, IPs play a crucial role in delivering primary care services in these regions. Despite the prevalent dispensing of antibiotics by IPs in many LMICs, as highlighted by existing research, there remains a gap in the comprehensive synthesis of antibiotic dispensing practices and the influencing factors among IPs. Hence, this scoping review seeks to map and consolidate the literature regarding antibiotic dispensing and its drivers among IPs in LMICs. Methods and analysis This review will follow the Joanna Briggs Institute guideline for scoping review. A comprehensive search across nine electronic databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, SCOPUS, Global Health, CINAHL, Web of Science, LILACS, AJOL and IMSEAR) will be performed, supplemented by manual searches of reference lists of eligible publications. The search strategy will impose no constraints on study design, methodology, publication date or language. The study selection process will be reported in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews. The findings on antibiotic dispensing and its patterns will be synthesised and reported descriptively using tables, visuals and a narrative summary. Additionally, factors influencing antibiotic dispensing will be elucidated through both inductive and deductive content analysis methods. Ethics and dissemination Ethical approval is not required for scoping reviews. The findings will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications and presentations at relevant conferences.
AB - Introduction The rise of antimicrobial resistance represents a critical threat to global health, exacerbated by the excessive and inappropriate dispensing and use of antimicrobial drugs, notably antibiotics, which specifically target bacterial infections. The surge in antibiotic consumption globally is particularly concerning in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs), where informal healthcare providers (IPs) play a vital role in the healthcare landscape. Often the initial point of contact for healthcare-seeking individuals, IPs play a crucial role in delivering primary care services in these regions. Despite the prevalent dispensing of antibiotics by IPs in many LMICs, as highlighted by existing research, there remains a gap in the comprehensive synthesis of antibiotic dispensing practices and the influencing factors among IPs. Hence, this scoping review seeks to map and consolidate the literature regarding antibiotic dispensing and its drivers among IPs in LMICs. Methods and analysis This review will follow the Joanna Briggs Institute guideline for scoping review. A comprehensive search across nine electronic databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, SCOPUS, Global Health, CINAHL, Web of Science, LILACS, AJOL and IMSEAR) will be performed, supplemented by manual searches of reference lists of eligible publications. The search strategy will impose no constraints on study design, methodology, publication date or language. The study selection process will be reported in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews. The findings on antibiotic dispensing and its patterns will be synthesised and reported descriptively using tables, visuals and a narrative summary. Additionally, factors influencing antibiotic dispensing will be elucidated through both inductive and deductive content analysis methods. Ethics and dissemination Ethical approval is not required for scoping reviews. The findings will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications and presentations at relevant conferences.
KW - anti-bacterial agents
KW - health workforce
KW - review
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85196904082&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1136/bmjopen-2024-086164
DO - 10.1136/bmjopen-2024-086164
M3 - Article
C2 - 38904128
AN - SCOPUS:85196904082
SN - 2044-6055
VL - 14
JO - BMJ Open
JF - BMJ Open
IS - 6
M1 - e086164
ER -