Antibiotic Self-Medication Among Young Adults in Kosovo

A survey was developed and distributed to adult pharmacy customers in Pristina, Kosovo to explore the extent and reasons for self-medication and knowledge regarding antibiotic use. The survey was distributed via-email to a convenience sample of pharmacy customers (n=693). Four hundred and nineteen (n=419, 63.2% response rate) completed surveys were returned. Most respondents (56%, n=235) were between 25-45 years old, almost 80% (79.62%, n=332) held a university degree, 59.43% were females, and 12.05% (n=50) were unemployed. Sore throats (44.47%, n=185) were the most common reason for self-medicating with antibiotics followed by other – unspecified (28.61%, n=119), cough (7.21%, n=30) and pain (6.49%, n=27). Amoxicillin was the most frequently self-administered antibiotic (41.1%, n=175). It was concluded that self-medication with antibiotics in this sample is a problem and controlling antibiotic use is an important public health effort.