Antimicrobial resistance is one of the major global threats with a high impact on both the economy and health. The education of the healthcare providers is a well‐recognized strategy to empower healthcare professionals in the control and mitigation of antimicrobial resistance, where pharmacists are identified as one of the major players in the rational use of antimicrobials. In this research, we designed and implemented a thorough and holistic multistage program as an educational antimicrobial stewardship program in Lebanon, targeting community pharmacists at the primary healthcare level to prepare them as future stewards. We investigated knowledge, practices, and perceptions of the participants toward AMR and AMS through pre‐ and postquestionnaires. Results showed moderate AMR and AMS knowledge with areas of improvement identified, highlighting the need for targeted educational efforts. Knowledge gaps decreased from 48.53% to 36.64%, indicating an improvement in AMR and AMS understanding. Pharmacists demonstrated a positive attitude toward AMR and AMS implementation with fair practice. Perceived barriers to AMS implementation included weak interprofessional collaboration, lack of compensation, and unclear national guidelines. Despite Lebanon’s fragile economic and political context, pharmacists expressed a strong willingness to dedicate time and effort in AMS educational program. These findings suggest that incorporating AMS programs designed for pharmacists in the National AMR plan can be an effective tool to reduce misuse and overuse of antimicrobials and raise awareness about AMR and the rational use of antimicrobials within the community.
Bizri et al. (Thu,) studied this question.