Assessment of Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice Toward Self-Medication with Antibiotics Among Students Belonging to Healthcare and Non-Healthcare Study Backgrounds

Antibiotics are vital pharmaceutical agents used primarily for the treatment of bacterial infections, operating either by directly killing bacteria (bactericidal) or inhibiting their growth (bacteriostatic) [1]. Since their discovery, antibiotics have revolutionized medical care, enabling the effective treatment of infections that were once life-threatening. However, their widespread and often irrational use has led to a mounting global crisis — antimicrobial resistance (AMR), which threatens to undermine decades of progress in medicine [2]. Self-medication with antibiotics (SMA) is one of the key contributors to this crisis. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines self-medication as the selection and use of medicines by individuals to treat self-recognized conditions or symptoms without professional supervision [3]. Although responsible self-medication can ease the burden on healthcare systems by providing relief from minor ailments, inappropriate use — especially of antibiotics — can lead to misdiagnosis, adverse drug reactions, masking of serious conditions, and most significantly, the evolution of drug-resistant bacterial strains [4].