title: Knowledge and perceptions of prescribers regarding adherence to standard treatment guidelines for malaria: a comparative cross-sectional study from Pakistan.
abstract: Despite the availability of standard treatment guidelines for malaria in Pakistan adherence to protocols by prescribers is poor. This descriptive, cross-sectional study aimed to explore the perceptions and knowledge of prescribers in Islamabad and Rawalpindi cities towards adherence to standard treatment guidelines for malaria. A questionnaire was distributed to a random sample of 360 prescribers; 64.7% were satisfied with the available antimalarial drugs and 41.3% agreed that antimalarial drugs should only be prescribed after diagnostic testing. Only half the prescribers had the guidelines available in their health facility. Almost all the prescribers (97.7%) agreed that there was a need for more educational programmes about the guidelines. Most prescribers were unaware of the correct standard treatment regimen for Plasmodium falciparum and P. vivax malaria. There were no differences in knowledge between males and females, but prescribers having more experience, practising as general practitioners and working in private health-care facilities possessed significantly better knowledge than their counterparts.
authors: Discipline of Social and Administrative Pharmacy, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang, Malaysia; Hamdard Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Islamabad, Pakistan.
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Malik
authors: Discipline of Social and Administrative Pharmacy, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang, Malaysia.
authors: M A A
authors: MA
authors: Hassali
authors: Discipline of Social and Administrative Pharmacy, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang, Malaysia.
authors: A A
authors: AA
authors: Shafie
authors: Hamdard Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Islamabad, Pakistan.
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Hussain
mesh_terms: D000962:Antimalarials / Q000592:standards / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D019983:Guideline Adherence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008288:Malaria / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000469:parasitology; D008297:Male; D010154:Pakistan; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000187:drug effects; D010966:Plasmodium vivax / Q000187:drug effects; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
chemical_list: D000962:Antimalarials