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During the COVID-19 pandemic, a ban on inspections of small businesses, including pharmacies, was imposed in Kazakhstan, which relaxed law enforcement efforts regarding the prohibition of over-the-counter antibiotic (AB) sales. This study aimed to investigate how this affected the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) related to AB and antimicrobial resistance (AMR), as well as to assess actual AB consumption at the community level. The study comprised two cross-sectional sub-studies: the first involved a KAP survey conducted in 2022 and 2024, utilizing the Special Eurobarometer questionnaire on AMR. The second sub-study analyzed AB consumption in 2021 and 2023, measured in defined daily doses per 1000 inhabitants. Results revealed an increase in the percentage of individuals reporting receipt of information about ABs and AMR in the past year (37.3% in 2022 vs. 52.9% in 2024,
Semenova et al. (Wed,) studied this question.