Future Prescribers and Antibiotic Prescribing: A Nationwide Cross-sectional Survey from Final Year Medical and Dental Students on the Preparedness to Prescribe Antibiotics

Background Future doctors and dentists will lead antibiotic use in hospitals and communities. Thus, it is crucial to determine if Pakistani medical and dental education prepares students for antibiotic usage. So, we conducted this study to assess medical and dentistry students' preparation, learning methods, and effectiveness of antibiotic usage and resistance teaching and training throughout undergraduate studies in Pakistan. Methods A nation-wide multi-center cross-sectional study was conducted in medical and dental colleges from January 2025 to May 2025. Final-year medical and dental students completed a self-administered questionnaire. Descriptive statistics were utilized for categorical data, whereas mean ± SD were used for continuous variables using SPSS version 23.0. Results The survey was completed by 1037 medical (RR = 90.1%-1037/1151) and 501 (RR = 94%- 501/533) dentistry students from 16 medical and 8 dental schools. The medical and dental students' least used sources for learning about antibiotic use were active learning assessments, E learning, and peer or near-peer teaching. Medical and dentistry students struggled to prescribe antibiotics according to national recommendations and understand bacterial antibiotic resistance. Conclusion No disparities exist between medical and dentistry students' instructional resources and undergraduate themes. To reduce antibiotic abuse and resistance, authorities should implement targeted educational changes to prepare future doctors and dentists to rationalize antibiotic usage.