title: Improving private pharmacy practice: a multi-intervention experiment in Hanoi, Vietnam.
abstract: The objective of this study was to assess the effects of a multicomponent intervention on private pharmacy practice. From 641 private pharmacies in Hanoi, 68 pharmacies were randomly selected and matched into 34 pairs. Each pair consisted of a control and an intervention pharmacy. Three interventions were applied sequentially: Regulatory enforcement, Education, and Peer influence. Four tracer conditions were selected: uncomplicated acute respiratory infection (ARI), sexually transmitted disease (STD), requesting the prescription-only drugs prednisolone, and a short course of cefalexin. Practice was assessed through the Simulated Client Method (SCM). The intervention pharmacies improved significantly compared to the control pharmacies (P <.05) in all tracer conditions. For ARI, antibiotic dispensing decreased (P <.02) and questions regarding breathing increased (P <.01). For STD, advice to go to the doctor and dispensing the correct syndromic treatment increased (P <.01). Dispensing of prednisolone and cefalexin decreased (P <.01) and prescription requests increased (P <.01). Our conclusion is that it is possible to improve private pharmacy practice with a multicomponent intervention.
authors.affiliation: Hanoi Medical University, Vietnam. ntkchuc@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Nguyen T K
authors.initials: NT
authors.lastname: Chuc
authors.forename: Mattias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Larsson
authors.forename: Nguyen T
authors.initials: NT
authors.lastname: Do
authors.forename: Vinod K
authors.initials: VK
authors.lastname: Diwan
authors.forename: Goran B
authors.initials: GB
authors.lastname: Tomson
authors.forename: Torkel
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Falkenberg
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002983:Clinical Competence; D003157:Community Pharmacy Services / Q000592:standards*; D011307:Drug Prescriptions / Q000592:standards*; D004513:Education, Pharmacy, Continuing / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D007885:Legislation, Pharmacy; D010379:Peer Group; D011331:Private Practice / Q000592:standards; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000188:drug therapy; D018401:Sample Size; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy; D014744:Vietnam
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents