title: Strengthening pharmacy practice in vietnam: findings of a training intervention study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the effectiveness of a training and supportive supervision intervention in strengthening the capacity of pharmacy staff in Vietnam to deliver client-oriented, accurate healthcare information and appropriate services for childhood diarrhoea and emergency contraceptive pills (ECP).
  
  
  METHODS
  Pre- and post-intervention study using a cross-sectional design. Pharmacy staff participated in 3 days of training on customer relations, good pharmacy practice, childhood diarrhoea and ECP over a period of 1 month, consisting of lectures, discussion, question-and-answer sessions and role-playing. We compared baseline and 6-month post-intervention surveys to ascertain changes in knowledge, attitudes and practice of pharmacists, using univariate statistics to find significant differences.
  
  
  RESULTS
  More than 1200 pharmacists received training and supportive supervision. After interventions, pharmacy staff knowledge was significantly improved on most of the measured indicators. Knowledge of dehydration symptoms for diarrhoea increased from 19% to 88%, and for side effects of ECP increased from 27% to 77%. While assessment of actual practice revealed that this knowledge was not always used, significant improvement was observed. Before interventions, 12% gave information on dehydration symptoms but 45% did so afterwards. The proportion giving information on side effects of ECP increased from 13% to 54%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Providing a programme of training and supportive supervision is an effective way to improve knowledge and practice of pharmacists at private pharmacies in Vietnam. These improvements have the potential to lead to better community health care.
authors.affiliation: PATH, Hanoi, Vietnam. minhp1974@gmail.com
authors.forename: Pham Duc
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Minh
authors.forename: Dinh Thi Mai
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: Huong
authors.forename: Ramona
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Byrkit
authors.forename: Marjorie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Murray
mesh_terms: D003157:Community Pharmacy Services / Q000592:standards; D003281:Contraceptives, Postcoital / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000075202:Contraindications; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000188:drug therapy; D004513:Education, Pharmacy, Continuing / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D004521:Educational Measurement / Q000379:methods*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D010594:Pharmacies / Q000592:standards*; D010595:Pharmacists / Q000592:standards*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014744:Vietnam
chemical_list: D003281:Contraceptives, Postcoital