Background: Resistance to antibiotics is now a serious threat to global health, and inappropriate use of drugs has been identified as a major contributing factor in the developing countries.
Objectives: The aim of this study is to assess the knowledge, risk perception, and practices related to antibiotic resistance among patent medicine vendors (PMVs) in Sokoto metropolis, Nigeria.
Materials and methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 200 PMVs selected by multi-stage sampling technique. Data were collected with a set of pretested, self administered, semi structured questionnaire.
Results: A larger proportion (83, 42.1%) of the 197 respondents who completed the questionnaire were aged 20 29 years. Most of them were males (80.2%) and had tertiary education (80.7%). Most of the respondents had adequate knowledge of the causes of antibiotic resistance (94.9%), and its prevention (98.0%). Most of the respondents also perceived antibiotic resistance as a serious threat to their own health (95.4%), and the health of their clients (89.4%). Practices favorable to the development of antibiotic resistance were very prevalent among the respondents. Majority of respondents (59.9%) consistently sell antibiotics to clients without doctor's prescription, and close to half of them (49.2%) consistently practice self-medication.
Conclusion: Despite high levels of knowledge of the causes, prevention, and perception of the risks associated with antibiotics resistance, practices favorable to its development were very prevalent among PMVs in Sokoto, Nigeria. Government should regulate and closely monitor PMVs' practices in order to avert the looming crisis in medical practice that will become inevitable if there are no potent antibiotics.
Keywords: Antibiotic resistance; knowledge; patent medicine vendors; practices; risk perception.