Background Antibiotic resistance became a marker of irrational and overuse of these medicines in many countries. This study aims to evaluate the knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) of medical students (MS) and non-medical students (NS) towards antibiotic use in the United Arabs Emirates (UAE). Method A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted amongst 1200 MS and NS from Ajman University in UAE. A self-administered questionnaire was used to assess the knowledge, attitude and practice of antibiotic use. The later was composed into knowledge, attitude and practice of antibiotic use. Descriptive analysis was used to analyse the qualitative variables while quantitative variables were summarised using mean ± Standard Deviation (±SD). A Chi-square test was used to compare differences in the proportions of qualitative variables. Unpaired student’s t-test was used to test the average differences in quantitative variables across medical and non-medical students. A p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results One thousand two hundred students (MS: 600 and NS: 600) were considered valid for analysis. On average, participants scored higher in attitude score followed by knowledge and practice scores. The average attitude score was 76% (95% CI: [75, 78%]) compared to 59% for knowledge (95% CI: [58, 60%]) and 45% (95% CI: [44, 47%]) for practice. The results suggest that overall, medical students scored remarkably better than non-medical students on KAP of antibiotic use, respectively ( p = 0.0001), (p = 0.000) and ( p = 0.002). Conclusion The students’ knowledge, attitude and practice regarding antibiotic use, which drive the practice of self-medication, reflect a gap in medical curricula in UAE institutes and medical colleges.

Purpose: Antibiotic resistance is one of the world’s most fatal health crises. Medical students are the antibiotic prescribers of tomorrow, so better understanding of their knowledge, attitudes, and practice (KAP) pertaining to antibiotic use is crucial. Objectives: This study aimed to assess the KAP of antibiotics and associated factors among university students in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Methods: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study conducted among a random sample of undergraduate students from Ajman University in the UAE. A self-administered pretested questionnaire was used to collect data on students’ demographics and their KAP regarding antibiotic use. Data were analysed using STATA version 14.2. P <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: This study showed that university students have a high rate of antibiotic self-medication. The average KAP score was 56% (95% CI 55%–57%). Statistical modeling showed that major, study year, age, and sex were strong determinants of KAP regarding antibiotic use. Conclusion: There is a need to develop an effective and comprehensive antibiotic-stewardship program as part of undergraduate education. Moreover, reinforcing antibiotic-use policies, involving pharmacies, drug supply, distribution, and sale, are also urgently needed.