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Survey by RAK university reveals 50 pct of patients self-medicate using antibiotics

Nearly 50 percent of people surveyed have self-medicated using antibiotics, and 53 percent wrongly believe antibiotics can be used to treat viral infections, according to a press release by the American University of Ras Al Khaimah (AURAK).

These are some of the findings from a research study conducted by a team of researchers led by Dr. Cijo Vazhappilly from the American University of Ras Al Khaimah (AURAK) in collaboration with researchers from Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences (MBRU) and Ras Al Khaimah Medical and Health Sciences University (RAKMHSU).

The study, funded by the Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi Foundation for Policy Research, focused on understanding awareness, attitude, practice, and perceptions about the use of antibiotics among the general public in the emirate of Ras Al Khaimah.

Of the 306 residents who responded, 49 percent reported having self-medicated using antibiotics at least once. Nearly, 32 percent of the respondents admitted they had purchased drugs from the pharmacy to treat bacterial infections without a prescription in the last one to two years.