Table 2 Details of non-prescription antibiotic use in participants for cough (N = 293)
Antibiotic use | N | Ratio (%) | Ratio of options (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
Source | |||
Pharmacy | 230 | 77.70 | 55.83 |
Family storage | 130 | 43.92 | 31.55 |
Last remaining antibiotic | 39 | 13.18 | 9.47 |
Friends or colleagues | 5 | 1.69 | 1.21 |
Online purchase | 3 | 1.01 | 0.73 |
Reasons for non-prescription | |||
Cough is ailment and not necessary to see a doctor | 201 | 67.91 | 31.36 |
With antibiotic at home | 169 | 57.09 | 26.37 |
Pharmacy purchase is convenient | 125 | 42.23 | 19.50 |
Believe self-treating by antibiotic is effective for cough | 102 | 34.46 | 15.91 |
Too busy to see a doctor | 15 | 5.07 | 2.34 |
The process of seeing a doctor is too long | 10 | 3.38 | 1.56 |
Self-treatment by antibiotic is more convenient than go to hospital | 9 | 3.04 | 1.40 |
Antibiotic is safe | 1 | 0.34 | 0.16 |
Antibiotic type | |||
Penicillin | 145 | 48.99 | 38.98 |
Cephalosporin | 116 | 39.19 | 31.18 |
Don’t remember | 61 | 20.61 | 16.40 |
Macrolides | 15 | 5.07 | 4.03 |
Quinolones | 6 | 2.03 | 1.61 |