The emergence of antibiotic resistant bacteria is a growing problem worldwide caused by improper use of antibiotics, careless physician prescription and antibiotic dispensing without prescription. In the municipality of Molave,75% of pharmacies were dispensing antibiotics without prescription based on the survey conducted hence the need for an interventional research study. This quasi experimental study aimed to determine the effect of lecture and interactive group discussion with posters and pamphlets as educational intervention on the knowledge and practices of pharmacy owners and assistants in Molave, Zamboanga del Sur with a calculated sample size of 17. The knowledge of the respondents was assessed using a questionnaire. The practices were assessed through secret shopping on eight pharmacies. Lecture was done among pharmacy owners and pharmacists while interactive group discussion with posters and pamphlets was done among pharmacy assistants; both focusing on antimicrobial resistance and the laws concerning it. Secret shopping was again utilized after the intervention. Data were analyzed using paired T-test for knowledge and McNemar’s test for the practices. There was a significant increase in the knowledge of pharmacists and pharmacy clerks from pre-test to post-test with a p-value of 0.026 and 0.005 respectively. For the practices, results showed that there was a significant decrease in the number of pharmacies dispensing antibiotics without prescription a month and two months after the intervention with a p-value of 0.0009 and 0.0005 respectively. This study then concludes that lecture and interactive group discussion with posters and pamphlets were effective in improving the knowledge and antibiotic dispensing practices of pharmacy owners and assistants.

Keyword: Interactive Group Discussion poster and Pamphlet