Journal of Pharmaceutical Policy and Practice (Dec 2024)

Healthcare commissioners’ experience with antibiotic resistance during the COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia: a qualitative study

  • Hadi Jaber Al Sulayyim,
  • Rohani Ismail,
  • Abdullah Al Hamid,
  • Noraini Abdul Ghafar

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1080/20523211.2023.2290671
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 17, no. 1

Abstract

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Introduction The occurrence of antibiotic resistance (AR) has become a critical issue during the Novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. This study explores the experiences of healthcare commissioners with AR during the COVID-19 pandemic, identifies challenges, and provides recommendations for combating AR during pandemics. Methods This qualitative study was multi-centered and used a phenomenological approach. Semi-structured interviews were conducted between December 2022 and January 2023 among 11 health commissioners using video calls. Results Seven themes emerged from the data, including knowledge of AR and its consequences, the antibiotic prescription system, the future of AR and potential contributory factors, the impact of COVID-19 on AR and their relationship, the experience of AR during the COVID-19 pandemic in healthcare facilities, barriers that prevent the misuse of antibiotics during pandemics, and recommendations regarding antibiotic resistance during pandemics. Conclusion The findings of this study could be used to inform policy and practice for government healthcare workers (HCWs) and the public. Furthermore, this study identified the main challenges of AR during the pandemic, and the recommendations of health commissioners were provided accordingly. Such recommendations could be beneficial on a national and international scale to reduce the impact of future pandemics on AR. Abbreviations COVID-19: Novel coronavirus disease 2019; AR: Antibiotic Resistance; IPC: Infection prevention and control; MDRO: multi-drug resistant organism; ASP: Antimicrobial Stewardship Program; HCW: Healthcare worker; KSA: Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; WHO: World Health Organization; MOH: Ministry of Health; MOEWA: Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture; AMR: Antimicrobial Resistance; PHCC: Primary Healthcare Center

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