title: Awareness of antibiotic use and antimicrobial resistance in the Iraqi community in Jordan.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Antimicrobial resistance is a serious global health concern. It has considerable implications on societies' health and resources. In Jordan, there is a large Iraqi community due to the ongoing turmoil in Iraq. Unfortunately, health awareness and practices of this community are under-investigated due to scarcity of research. This paper assesses the awareness of antibiotic use and antimicrobial resistance in the Iraqi community residing in Amman, Jordan. Their level of interaction with health care professionals regarding antibiotics and differences in their antibiotic use between Iraq and Jordan are also discussed.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional questionnaire-based survey involving randomly selected Iraqis residing in Amman, Jordan was conducted.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The study involved 508 participants. Sixty-two percent of participants agreed with buying antibiotics without a prescription, 29% agreed with obtaining antibiotics from friends or relatives, and 46% agreed with keeping leftover antibiotics for future use. Furthermore, 60% disagreed with not completing an antibiotic course and almost 90% of the sample listed viral diseases as an indication for antibiotics. Forty-four percent of participants abided by physicians' instructions on antibiotic use. Half of the participants believed that pharmacists provided instructions on antibiotics all the time, whereas physicians were perceived to do so by 29% of participants.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Gaps exist in knowledge of antibiotic use and reasons for antimicrobial resistance among Iraqis residing in Jordan. These gaps should serve in planning educational campaigns to raise the community's awareness of responsible antibiotic use. Law enforcement to restrict access to antibiotics is also pivotal to tackle their misuse.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences, University of Petra, Amman, Jordan. ddarwish@uop.edu.jo.
authors.forename: Dana A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Darwish
authors.forename: Suzanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Abdelmalek
authors.forename: Wael
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Abu Dayyih
authors.forename: Salim
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hamadi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004363:Drug Utilization; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007597:Jordan; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents