Table 6.

Details on the themes, subthemes, and categories.

Theme	Subtheme	Categories
Infections	The most common type of infections in the community	Respiratory tract infections (upper and lower respiratory tract infections) are the most prevalent.Urinary tract infections are also common.Other infections
Misuse of antibiotics	Self-medication with antibiotics	Patients usually do not consult with a medical practitioner.People have their suggestions for treatment with antibiotics.Patients mostly do not complete the full course of antibiotics.
	Access to antibiotics	Easy access to antibiotics especially in rural areas.The absence of a qualified person (pharmacist) at pharmacy/drug outlets.
	Physician–pharmacist linkage and coordination	Physicians/prescribers and pharmacist linkages are not unavailable. It is sometimes hard to understand the prescriptions including antibiotics. Patients always rely on and demand what a physician has prescribed. Consultation with a physician for patients’ medications is very rare in Pakistan.
Patient education	Counseling	Sometimes, patients do not listen to the CP who tries to counsel the patient on the prescribed antibiotics.Some modern pharmacies set up in some big cities have enough space and pharmacists for counseling.
	Awareness	Awareness is the key to curbing antibiotic misuse.Awareness campaigns, camps, seminars, and awareness walks would be helpful.Written charts and brochures in local languages could indicate the importance of antibiotics.
Nonprescription antibiotics	Antibiotics without prescription	It is a very important and common issue particularly in the rural areas.Sometimes, patients bring empty antibiotic strips, bottles, or leaflets demanding to be given similar antibiotics. The pharmacist will not dispense antibiotics without a prescription. However, off duty, the staff may not hesitate to dispense.
Antibiotic resistance	The rising issue in Pakistan	Almost all participants have some knowledge on antibiotic resistance.Most CPs believed that patients should stop the antibiotics after 3–4 doses after they felt well.The pharmacists have pledged to play their roles as CPs more than before.
Suggestions for prescription-only antibiotics	Physicians/medical practitioner role	The physician/prescriber should prescribe antibiotics for the patient based on the situations, and over-prescribing must be avoided, which leads to a cutoff in the doses of the antibiotic for the one who cannot afford it.
	CPs role	Pharmacies/drug outlets must have pharmacists. Awareness of CPs and their roles in the healthcare system should be explored at the community level.CPs should not dispense the antibiotics without an authentic prescription, and the records should be maintained.
	Government and legislation role	The healthcare system must be improved as three provinces are still deprived of such legislation.The number of healthcare professionals must be increased so the prescribers would have more time for patient consultations.Outdated pharmacy and drug laws must be renewed with modern regulations in Pakistan.