title: Response of patent medicine vendors in rural areas of Lagos state Nigeria to antimalarial policy change.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Patent medicine vendors (PMVs) play an important role in the treatment of malaria, especially in the rural areas. Nigeria recently changed her antimalarial treatment policy from chloroquine to artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT).
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine the response of PMVs to the new policy.
  
  
  METHODS
  A baseline study was conducted in two local government areas (LGAs) of Lagos state Nigeria as the first phase in an intervention study aimed at improving the malarial treatment practices of PMVs in rural Lagos. A mixed method design involving a questionnaire survey of 180 PMVs and four key informant interviews were used. An antimalarial drug (AMD) audit was also performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  More than 80% of respondents were aware of the policy change in malaria treatment, but only 23.9% sold an ACT for the last case of malaria treated in an under five child. The main determining factor of the particular AMD sold was PMV's personal choice (70.6%). About half (58.9%) of the shops stocked ACTs, the newly recommended antimalarials.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The high awareness of the policy change did not translate to a commensurate increase in the sale of the new drugs. Factors beyond the PMVs need to be addressed for a successful adoption of the new policy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Medicine, Faculty of Clinical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, Niger Delta University, Wilberforce Island, Bayelsa State, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Abisoye
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Oyeyemi
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Health and Primary Care, College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Idi-Araba, Lagos, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Babatunde
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ogunnowo
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Health and Primary Care, College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Idi-Araba, Lagos, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Oluwakemi
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Odukoya
mesh_terms: D000962:Antimalarials / Q000191:economics / Q000600:supply & distribution / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D037621:Artemisinins / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002738:Chloroquine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003132:Commerce; D006291:Health Policy; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008288:Malaria / Q000188:drug therapy*; D009549:Nigeria; D004366:Nonprescription Drugs / Q000191:economics / Q000600:supply & distribution / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012424:Rural Population; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D000962:Antimalarials; D037621:Artemisinins; D004366:Nonprescription Drugs; D002738:Chloroquine
keywords: ACTs; Patent Medicine Vendors; artemisinin monotherapies; malaria; non-artemisinin therapies; policy change