Poor knowledge on new malaria treatment guidelines among drug dispensers in private pharmacies in Tanzania: the need for involving the private sector in policy preparations and implementation.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the knowledge of dispensers in private pharmacies on new malaria treatment guidelines which involved switching from chloroquine (CQ) to sulfadoxine pyrimethamine (SP) and from SP to artemether-lumefantrine.


METHODS
A structured questionnaire was used for data collection and the questions focused on whether the subjects were involved in the preparation or implementation of the guidelines or had undertaken any training on how to dispense new antimalarial medicines as recommended in the introduced new treatment guidelines.


RESULTS
The study revealed that none of the participants had been involved in the preparation of the treatment guidelines, nor had they undertaken any training on their implementation. As many as 49% of the visited private pharmacies were found to continue stocking and selling CQ tablets and injections. Only 30% and 7% knew the correct dose regimen of SP and ALU respectively and none of them knew the condition of taking ALU with a fatty meal for improved absorption.


CONCLUSIONS
Lack of involvement of the pharmaceutical personnel working in the private pharmacies, from the preparation of new malaria treatment guidelines to their implementation, contributed to their poor knowledge and skill on how to correctly dispense the medicines.
Minzi
O M S
OM
Department of Mledicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Muhimbili University of Health and allied Sciences P O BOX 65013, Dar es Salaam Tanzania. ominzi@muhas.ac.tz
Haule
A F
AF
D000962:Antimalarials / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000077611:Artemether, Lumefantrine Drug Combination; D037621:Artemisinins / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002738:Chloroquine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003657:Decision Making; D004338:Drug Combinations; D004983:Ethanolamines; D005449:Fluorenes / Q000627:therapeutic use; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006291:Health Policy / Q000639:trends*; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008288:Malaria / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008509:Medication Systems; D010594:Pharmacies / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic / Q000592:standards; D017149:Private Sector / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011739:Pyrimethamine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013413:Sulfadoxine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013636:Tanzania
D000962:Antimalarials; D000077611:Artemether, Lumefantrine Drug Combination; D037621:Artemisinins; D004338:Drug Combinations; D004983:Ethanolamines; D005449:Fluorenes; C001205:fanasil, pyrimethamine drug combination; D013413:Sulfadoxine; D002738:Chloroquine; D011739:Pyrimethamine