Table 2 Policy-relevant themes and categories concerning rational use of antibiotics in Turkey and among Turkish migrants in three EU countries: Germany, the Netherlands and Sweden
Themes | Implementation of regulations and recommendations | Access to antibiotics | Need for health communication | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Setting | Turkey | Turkish migrants in EU countries | Turkey | Turkish migrants in EU countries | Turkey | Turkish migrants in EU countries |
Categories | Irrational antibiotic use among the public | Physicians were well-informed | Antibiotics could be obtained with or without a prescription | Access to antibiotics was mainly via prescription | Low level of knowledge about rational antibiotic use | Several sources of information |
Less likely to get antibiotics without a prescription | Few migrants got antibiotics without a prescription | Alternative ways to get antibiotics | Inadequate physician communication with patients | Communication with and trust in physicians were important | ||
Refraining from going to physicians and pharmacies | Pharmacists required prescriptions | Socioeconomic gradient in knowledge | Physician-patient communication could be improved | |||
Physicians were better educated, but a lack of information remained among physicians | Use of antibiotics was influenced by access to health care and medications | Interest in learning about antibiotics | Knowledge among migrants could be improved | |||
Lack of opportunities for physicians to evaluate patients adequately | Friends and families were of importance for habits | |||||
Increased control of pharmacists | ||||||