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Table 2 Subgroup meta-analysis of the proportion of non-prescription dispensing of antibiotics

From: Non-prescription dispensing of antibiotic agents among community drug retail outlets in Sub-Saharan African countries: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Subgroups

Non-prescription dispensing of antibiotics(95% CI)

Difference in estimate between categories (P value)

Number of studies

Heterogeneity

Study publication year a

    

 2016–2020

0.76 (0.65–0.87)

P = 0.066

16

I2 = 98.3%, P < 0.001

 2000–2015

0.51 (0.23–0.79)

6

I2 = 99.3%, P < 0.001

 < 2000

0.67 (0.54–0.77)

1

NA

Region

    

 East Africa

0.69 (0.57–0.81)

P = 0.66

21

I2 = 98.8%, P < 0.001

 Central Africa

0.47 (0.42–0.52)

1

NA

 West Africa

0.91 (0.87–0.94)

1

NA

Case scenarios

    

 Multiple**

0.71 (0.53–0.88)

P = 0.235

13

I2 = 99.0%, P < 0.001

 Single*

0.76 (0.64–0.89)

6

I2 = 95.9%, P < 0.001

 Not specified

0.52 (0.22–0.82)

4

I2 = 99.5%, P < 0.001

Number of visits***

    

 ≤ 146

0.74 (0.65–0.83)

P = 0.320

12

I2 = 92.9%, P < 0.001

 > 146

0.64 (0.46–0.82)

11

I2 = 99.4%, P < 0.001

Number of outlets***

    

 ≤ 63

0.71 (0.57–0.86)

P = 0.603

12

I2 = 98.5%, P < 0.001

 > 63

0.66 (0.48–0.85)

11

I2 = 99.2%, P < 0.001

  1. NA, not applicable
  2. aThe World Health Organisation issued the global strategy for containment of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in 2001, and global action plan to control AMR in 2015, categorised studies based on year using this fact
  3. **Studies used more than one case scenario (includes; diarrhoea, URTI, vaginal discharge, urethral discharge, UTI, wound/abscess, injury, typhoid, post-surgery etc.)
  4. *Studies used either diarrhoea or respiratory tract infection case scenarios
  5. ***Median was taken to set cut-off point for categorisation