The study investigated why antibiotics are still dispensed without a prescription in community pharmacies in Jordan, even though there are policies in place to control antimicrobial resistance. She used mixed methods: a questionnaire among pharmacists in five Jordanian governorates and 24 semi-structured interviews. Pharmacists had a good awareness of the principles of antimicrobial stewardship, but reported significant barriers at the social, structural and economic levels. The main obstacles included pressure from patients to dispense antibiotics, weak enforcement of legislation and the economic dependence of pharmacies on drug sales. Pharmacists in independent pharmacies, with less than 5 years of experience and in rural areas had higher perceived barriers, while participation in AMS training reduced perceived barriers. Qualitative analysis revealed five themes: deficiencies in regulation and control, patient and cultural pressures, economic constraints, lack of AMS training, and suggestions for policy improvement. The authors conclude that the main barrier is not a lack of professional awareness, but inconsistent enforcement and economic pressures, and recommend strengthening regulation, implementing digital prescription validation, and including AMS in continuing pharmacy education and training.