The Effectiveness of Health Campaigns on Antibiotic Resistance: A Media and Pharmacy Practice Perspective

This systematic review by Hala Afifi examined 20 studies of public health campaigns on antibiotic resistance (2010-2025) and found that well-designed, multi-channel media efforts can significantly improve public knowledge and reduce inappropriate antibiotic use (for example a 26.5 % reduction in prescriptions in France). However, it also revealed that community pharmacists—despite being trusted point-of-care professionals—are infrequently and inconsistently integrated into these campaigns; the review concludes that aligning media strategies with pharmacy-based interventions offers a key opportunity for enhancing antimicrobial stewardship.