Knowledge and beliefs of primary care physicians, pharmacists, and parents on antibiotic use for the pediatric common cold

• Published in: Social science & medicine (1982) Vol. 58; no. 3; pp. 623 - 629
• Main Authors: Cho, Hong-Jun, Hong, Soo-Jong, Park, Sylvia
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.02.2004; Elsevier; Pergamon Press Inc
• Series: Social Science & Medicine
• Subjects: Anti-Bacterial Agents - therapeutic use; Antibacterial agents; Antibiotics; Antibiotics. Antiinfectious agents. Antiparasitic agents; Attitudes; Beliefs; Biological and medical sciences; Children; Colds; Common cold; Common Cold - complications; Common Cold - drug therapy; Common cold Prescribing Primary care physician Pharmacist Antibiotics South Korea; Common colds; Doctors; Drug Prescriptions; Drug Utilization - standards; Female; Health; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Health participants; Health Services Research; Humans; Illness; Knowledge; Korea; Male; Medical sciences; Medical treatment; Medicine; Parents - psychology; Pediatrics; Pharmaceuticals; Pharmacist; Pharmacists - psychology; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Physicians, Family - psychology; Prescribing; Primary care; Primary care physician; Primary Health Care; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Random Allocation; Social sciences; South Korea; Surveys and Questionnaires; Korea; Prescribing; Common cold; South Korea; Pharmacist; Primary care physician; Antibiotics; Pediatrics; Nose disease; Indication; Parent; Primary health care; Chemist; Knowledge; Medical prescription; ENT disease; Child; Human; Belief; Health staff; Physician; Infection; Antibiotic; Chemotherapy; Viral disease; Antibacterial agent; Comparative study
• ISSN: 0277-9536; 1873-5347
• DOI: 10.1016/S0277-9536(03)00231-4

The aim of this study is to investigate knowledge and beliefs of primary care physicians (e.g. family practitioners and pediatricians), pharmacists, and parents regarding the use of antibiotics for the pediatric common cold, using a self-administered questionnaire for physicians and pharmacists and a telephone interview for parents. This article suggests that parents’ expectation for antibiotics is a minor factor, and health care providers’ unfounded beliefs in the effectiveness of antibiotics and exaggeration of parents’ demand for antibiotics may be the major contributing factor underlying antibiotic over-prescription for the pediatric common cold in Korea. Most physicians and pharmacists knew the correct cause of the pediatric common cold, but majorities of the physicians and pharmacists believed that antibiotics could treat and reduce its complications. On the other hand, 34% of the parents believed that antibiotics could prevent complications. Seventy three per cent of the physicians reported that they perceived expectations for antibiotics from parents, but only 2% of the parents reported asking their physicians for antibiotics. In summary, this study suggests that physicians’ knowledge and faulty beliefs can be more important factors for inappropriate antibiotic prescription.