title: Antibiotic knowledge, attitudes and behaviours of Albanian health care professionals and patients - a qualitative interview study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The inappropriate use of antimicrobials is a problem worldwide. To target future interventions, a thorough understanding of the reasons behind this current behaviour is needed. Within the EU, the culture of antimicrobial use has been intensely studied, but this is not the case in non-EU southeastern European countries, despite the frequent use of (broad-spectrum) antibiotics (ABs) in this region. The aim of this study was to explore AB knowledge, attitudes and behaviours of health care professionals (HCPs) and patients in one southeastern European country, Albania.
  
  
  METHODS
  In total, 16 semi-structured interviews were carried out with four groups of interviewees: physicians, community pharmacists, and patients with and without AB prescriptions. Interviews were used to investigate participants' recent practices with four specific antibiotics for upper respiratory tract infections, along with their typical behaviours, knowledge and attitudes towards the use of antimicrobials. A directed content analysis was applied.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The patients showed little awareness of the differences between viruses and bacteria; however, they often self-diagnosed, which led them to request ABs from pharmacies without a prescription. Pharmacists felt pressured to give in to patients' demands. All of the participants (including HCP) showed ﻿suboptimal beliefs about illness severity as they all believed that 'flu complications', i.e. flu/cold symptoms that persisted after 2-3 days, should be treated with ABs. Physicians usually had no rapid tests to guide them in their practice; however, they were not concerned about this fact. HCPs acknowledged AMR, but only a few of them seemed to consider its risk in their daily practice.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients had high levels of trust in and desire for ABs, and HCPs did not often negotiate with patients' demands. Suggested initiatives to improve the prudent use of ABs in Albania include higher reimbursement for prescribed antibiotics (to reduce illegal sales), academic detailing as well as implementing public awareness campaigns.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, Section for Social and Clinical Pharmacy, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 2, 2100 København Ø, Denmark.
authors.forename: Susanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kaae
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Medicine Tirana, Albania, Fakulteti Farmacise, Rr. Dibres 371, 1000 Tirana, Albania.
authors.forename: Admir
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Malaj
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Medicine Tirana, Albania, Fakulteti Farmacise, Rr. Dibres 371, 1000 Tirana, Albania.
authors.forename: Iris
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Hoxha
keywords: Albania; Antibiotic knowledge; Antibiotics; Attitudes; Interviews; Patients; Pharmacists; Physicians; Practices