Physicians’ and pharmacists’ knowledge and perceptions of antibiotic resistance and antibiotic stewardship: a cross-sectional survey in a tertiary hospital

The WHO global action plan on antibiotic resistance (ABR) emphasises improving awareness of ABR and optimising antibiotic use.

To assess physicians’ and pharmacists’ knowledge and perceptions of ABR and antibiotic stewardship (AS) and hospital preparedness to implement AS.

This descriptive cross-sectional survey included 124 physicians and 61 pharmacists from the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. Participants were given a 16-item questionnaire during their clinical/review meetings. The data were analysed with SPSS version 25.0.

Both physicians (98%) and pharmacists (97%) perceived ABR as a global and national concern. Only 47% of physicians and 53% of pharmacists accurately defined AS. More pharmacists (70%) than physicians (45%) knew that excessive antibiotic usage in agriculture and livestock causes resistance (p = 0.002) and that prompt de-escalation of empirical antibiotic therapy based on culture/sensitivity results reduces ABR (93% vs. 79%, respectively, p = 0.013). Knowledge scores varied among physicians according to position (p = 0.002), length of practice (p < 0.001), and age (p = 0.002); only pharmacists' age (p = 0.046) was associated with their knowledge level.

Participants demonstrated good knowledge of ABR and AS strategies but little awareness about the hospital’s intention to implement AS programmes. Hospital management should emphasise optimising antibiotic use through AS programmes.