Evaluation of the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of intern medical students at Inönü University Faculty of Medicine regarding rational antibiotic use

Introduction and Purpose: Rational use of antibiotics primarily helps prevent the growing problem of antibiotic resistance, reduces complications caused by infectious diseases, and prevents the chronicization of illnesses and increased mortality. Accurate differentiation by intern medical students between viral and bacterial causes of common infectious diseases helps reduce unnecessary antibiotic use. The preference for first-line antibiotics in common bacterial infections, in accordance with the Ministry of Health's Rational Antibiotic Use Guidelines, prevents irrational antibiotic use. For intern medical students to prescribe antibiotics rationally, they must have sufficient knowledge about rational antibiotic use. Material and method: This study was conducted to evaluate the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of intern medical students regarding rational antibiotic use. A total of 187 intern medical students from Inönü University Faculty of Medicine in Malatya participated in the study. The participants responded to a questionnaire comprising 20 questions designed to assess their knowledge, attitudes, and practices concerning rational antibiotic use. Of these questions, 11 aimed to evaluate their attitudes and practices, while 9 focused on assessing their knowledge levels. The study adopted a quantitative approach and was designed based on a general survey model. Results: Among the 187 intern medical students who participated in the study from Inönü University Faculty of Medicine in Malatya, 91 (48.7%) were male and 96 (51.3%) were female. The average age of the participants was 24.16. Only 8 (4.3%) reported having received specific training on rational antibiotic use, while 179 (95.7%) had not received such training. A statistically significant difference was found in favor of those who had received specific training in rational antibiotic use in terms of knowledge about the treatment of acute bacterial tonsillopharyngitis. Conclusion: As a result of our study, it was determined that intern medical students at Inönü University Faculty of Medicine in Malatya possess sufficient knowledge regarding rational antibiotic use. It is recommended that intern medical students receive training on rational antibiotic prescribing at regular intervals during and after their medical education. Keywords: Intern medical students, Rational antibiotic use, Pre-graduate education