Factors associated with inappropriate antibiotic use in South African communities: findings from the CAMUS survey

Abstract

In this large sample of ambulatory care public-sector patients, inappropriate antibiotic use appeared to be linked with permissive social norms and health literacy gaps rather than knowledge deficits alone. Interventions that focus solely on correcting factual misconceptions may be insufficient to address inappropriate antibiotic use. Future stewardship strategies must explicitly target social norms, family influences, and pharmacy behavior, alongside strengthening patient-prescriber-pharmacy communication.