Management of childhood acute respiratory infections at private pharmacies in Vietnam.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the knowledge and practice among private pharmacy staff in Hanoi regarding case management of mild acute respiratory infection (ARI) in children.


METHODS
Sixty private pharmacies in Hanoi were randomly selected. Knowledge was assessed through interviews with pharmacy staff using a questionnaire; practice was assessed through the Simulated Client Method.


RESULTS
In the questionnaire, 20% of the pharmacy staff stated that they would dispense antibiotics. In practice, 83% of the pharmacies dispensed antibiotics. Only 36% of the cases were handled according to guidelines. In the questionnaire, 81% of interviewees stated that antibiotics are not effective in short therapeutic courses. In practice, 48% of the antibiotics were dispensed in courses less than five days. Traditional herbal medicines were dispensed in 41% of the encounters. In the questionnaire, 53% of the pharmacy staff stated that they would ask the patient about difficulty of breathing. In practice, questions related to difficulty of breathing were asked in less than 10% of the encounters.


CONCLUSIONS
Dispensing of antibiotics for mild ARI was common practice among private pharmacies, and there was a significant difference between knowledge and practice. Interventions are needed to improve pharmacy practice in Hanoi.
Chuc
N T
NT
Hanoi Medical University, Division of International Health, Vietnam. NTKChuc@yahoo.com
Larsson
M
M
Falkenberg
T
T
Do
N T
NT
Binh
N T
NT
Tomson
G B
GB
D000208:Acute Disease; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000996:Antitussive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D003157:Community Pharmacy Services; D006801:Humans; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014505:Urban Population; D014744:Vietnam
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000996:Antitussive Agents