Attitude of medical practitioners to antibiotic prescribing in Zimbabwe

Abstract

The findings indicate that a majority (91%) of medical practitioners are aware of the dangers of antibiotic abuse and consider patient variables in the choice of drug, the dose, and duration of therapy. Combinations of antimicrobial agents are reserved for severe and refractory infections. The major problem area appears to be patient pressure on medical practitioners to prescribe antibiotics unnecessarily. Other potential areas of concern are that some practitioners appear to use a broad-spectrum antibiotic as a first choice and/or prescribe an antibiotic for a shorter time than that usually recommended.