DOI: https://doi.org/10.36347/sasjm.2026.v12i11.006

Pages: 1165-1174

Antimicrobial resistance is a major threat to patient safety and public health, and primary care is a critical setting for antibiotic stewardship because family physicians manage large numbers of respiratory, urinary, skin, and other undifferentiated illnesses. This narrative review synthesizes international guidance, systematic reviews, randomized trials, Qatar national policies and clinical guidelines, and Qatar-based studies relevant to outpatient prescribing. Effective stewardship combines accurate clinical assessment, diagnostic stewardship, clear patient communication, selective point-of-care testing, delayed prescribing when appropriate, narrow-spectrum treatment, guideline-concordant dose and duration, allergy verification, electronic documentation, audit and feedback, and multidisciplinary support. Evidence indicates that communication interventions, behavioral strategies, delayed prescribing, and audit-feedback can reduce unnecessary antibiotic use without compromising clinical outcomes or patient satisfaction. Qatar-based evidence suggests that clinicians generally recognize the relationship between inappropriate antibiotic use and resistance, but patient pressure, complaints, organizational factors, and consultation dynamics remain important barriers. In Primary Health Care Corporation facilities, stewardship should therefore be embedded in clinical governance and electronic prescribing and supported by national policy, local clinical pathways, pharmacy and nursing involvement, clinician feedback, patient education, and outcome monitoring. A coordinated, locally adapted program can improve prescribing quality, reduce avoidable antibiotic exposure, and preserve antibiotic effectiveness in Qatar.