"Abstract
Background:  Antibacterials have proven to be highly effective in treating and managing bacterial diseases in clinical settings such as hospitals and community-based drug outlets. Although the pace of creating new antibiotics has decreased, there has been a significant rise in their widespread use. This study aims to assess knowledge and attitudes among dispensers on antibacterial use in community pharmacies and accredited drug dispensing outlets.
Methodology:  Using a structured questionnaire,  a cross-sectional study was conducted in the Nyamagana district. 131 (79.4%) community pharmacies and 34 (20.6%) accredited drug dispensing outlets were visited during data collection in April 2024. Data was collected by using structured questionnaires, cleaned by using Excel, and input into Stata version 15 for analysis.
Results: The results were expressed in terms of frequency and percentage, in which 160 (97%) of dispensers had adequate knowledge and only 5 (3%) of dispensers had inadequate knowledge. 44 (26.6%) dispensers agreed that antibiotics can be used to treat diseases caused by viruses, and 60 (36.4%) dispensers agreed that antibiotics can be used to treat acute diarrhoea irrespective of its causes. Based on the scale used, all 165 dispensers had a positive attitude toward antibiotics, although 50 (30.3%) dispensers agreed that expensive antibiotics are more effective compared to less expensive ones.
Conclusion: The results highlight the significance of specific interventions aimed at enhancing the knowledge and attitudes of dispensers. These interventions are important to ensure responsible use of these drugs in community-based settings"