title: Under the counter, underground or unethical medicines? An African perspective.
abstract: Discussions about global health issues related to drugs usually concentrate on affordability and availability, with limited consideration of other precipitating factors associated with distribution inequalities and efficacy in low-income countries. Inappropriate prescribing has a significant public health impact ranging from ineffective treatment of disease, drug resistance and potential harm to patients. We report on the problems associated with unsuitable prescribing of medication in an African setting.
authors.affiliation: Doctor, Chelsea and Westminster NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.
authors.forename: Maryam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Alfa-Wali
authors.forename: Idris
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Mohammed
authors.forename: Haruna
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yusuph
mesh_terms: D003695:Delivery of Health Care; D011307:Drug Prescriptions / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004363:Drug Utilization; D016568:Drugs, Generic; D006801:Humans; D057970:Inappropriate Prescribing; D010594:Pharmacies; D010595:Pharmacists; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D012307:Risk Factors; D012651:Self Medication / Q000009:adverse effects; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors
chemical_list: D016568:Drugs, Generic
keywords: Drug prescriptions; drug disposal; resistance