Does anti-malarial drug knowledge predict anti-malarial dispensing practice in drug outlets? A survey of medicine retailers in western Kenya
Abstract Background Malaria is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in Kenya, where it is the fifth leading cause of death in both children and adults. Effectively managing malaria is dependent upon appropriate treatment. In Kenya, between 17 to 83 percent of febrile individuals first seek treat...
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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:0f6501374f50497eb29208543ac452e0 2023-05-15T15:14:36+02:00 Does anti-malarial drug knowledge predict anti-malarial dispensing practice in drug outlets? A survey of medicine retailers in western Kenya Rusk Andria Smith Nathan Menya Diana Obala Andrew Simiyu Chrispinus Khwa-Otsyula Barasa O’Meara Wendy 2012-08-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.1186/1475-2875-11-263 https://doaj.org/article/0f6501374f50497eb29208543ac452e0 EN eng BMC http://www.malariajournal.com/content/11/1/263 https://doaj.org/toc/1475-2875 doi:10.1186/1475-2875-11-263 1475-2875 https://doaj.org/article/0f6501374f50497eb29208543ac452e0 Malaria Journal, Vol 11, Iss 1, p 263 (2012) AMFm Antimalarial Retail shops Medicine outlets Training Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine RC955-962 Infectious and parasitic diseases RC109-216 article 2012 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.1186/1475-2875-11-263 2022-12-31T06:55:22Z Abstract Background Malaria is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in Kenya, where it is the fifth leading cause of death in both children and adults. Effectively managing malaria is dependent upon appropriate treatment. In Kenya, between 17 to 83 percent of febrile individuals first seek treatment for febrile illness over the counter from medicine retailers. Understanding medicine retailer knowledge and behaviour in treating suspected malaria and dispensing anti-malarials is crucial. Methods To investigate medicine retailer knowledge about anti-malarials and their dispensing practices, a survey was conducted of all retail drug outlets that sell anti-malarial medications and serve residents of the Webuye Health and Demographic Surveillance Site in the Bungoma East District of western Kenya. Results Most of the medicine retailers surveyed (65%) were able to identify artemether-lumefantrine (AL) as the Kenyan Ministry of Health recommended first-line anti-malarial therapy for uncomplicated malaria. Retailers who correctly identified this treatment were also more likely to recommend AL to adult and paediatric customers. However, the proportion of medicine retailers who recommend the correct treatment is disappointingly low. Only 48% would recommend AL to adults, and 37% would recommend it to children. It was discovered that customer demand has an influence on retailer behaviour. Retailer training and education were found to be correlated with anti-malarial drug knowledge, which in turn is correlated with dispensing practices. Medicine retailer behaviour, including patient referral practice and dispensing practices, are also correlated with knowledge of the first-line anti-malarial medication. The Kenya Ministry of Health guidelines were found to influence retailer drug stocking and dispensing behaviours. Conclusion Most medicine retailers could identify the recommended first-line treatment for uncomplicated malaria, but the percentage that could not is still too high. Furthermore, knowing the MOH recommended ... Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Arctic Malaria Journal 11 1 |
institution |
Open Polar |
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Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
op_collection_id |
ftdoajarticles |
language |
English |
topic |
AMFm Antimalarial Retail shops Medicine outlets Training Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine RC955-962 Infectious and parasitic diseases RC109-216 |
spellingShingle |
AMFm Antimalarial Retail shops Medicine outlets Training Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine RC955-962 Infectious and parasitic diseases RC109-216 Rusk Andria Smith Nathan Menya Diana Obala Andrew Simiyu Chrispinus Khwa-Otsyula Barasa O’Meara Wendy Does anti-malarial drug knowledge predict anti-malarial dispensing practice in drug outlets? A survey of medicine retailers in western Kenya |
topic_facet |
AMFm Antimalarial Retail shops Medicine outlets Training Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine RC955-962 Infectious and parasitic diseases RC109-216 |
description |
Abstract Background Malaria is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in Kenya, where it is the fifth leading cause of death in both children and adults. Effectively managing malaria is dependent upon appropriate treatment. In Kenya, between 17 to 83 percent of febrile individuals first seek treatment for febrile illness over the counter from medicine retailers. Understanding medicine retailer knowledge and behaviour in treating suspected malaria and dispensing anti-malarials is crucial. Methods To investigate medicine retailer knowledge about anti-malarials and their dispensing practices, a survey was conducted of all retail drug outlets that sell anti-malarial medications and serve residents of the Webuye Health and Demographic Surveillance Site in the Bungoma East District of western Kenya. Results Most of the medicine retailers surveyed (65%) were able to identify artemether-lumefantrine (AL) as the Kenyan Ministry of Health recommended first-line anti-malarial therapy for uncomplicated malaria. Retailers who correctly identified this treatment were also more likely to recommend AL to adult and paediatric customers. However, the proportion of medicine retailers who recommend the correct treatment is disappointingly low. Only 48% would recommend AL to adults, and 37% would recommend it to children. It was discovered that customer demand has an influence on retailer behaviour. Retailer training and education were found to be correlated with anti-malarial drug knowledge, which in turn is correlated with dispensing practices. Medicine retailer behaviour, including patient referral practice and dispensing practices, are also correlated with knowledge of the first-line anti-malarial medication. The Kenya Ministry of Health guidelines were found to influence retailer drug stocking and dispensing behaviours. Conclusion Most medicine retailers could identify the recommended first-line treatment for uncomplicated malaria, but the percentage that could not is still too high. Furthermore, knowing the MOH recommended ... |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Rusk Andria Smith Nathan Menya Diana Obala Andrew Simiyu Chrispinus Khwa-Otsyula Barasa O’Meara Wendy |
author_facet |
Rusk Andria Smith Nathan Menya Diana Obala Andrew Simiyu Chrispinus Khwa-Otsyula Barasa O’Meara Wendy |
author_sort |
Rusk Andria |
title |
Does anti-malarial drug knowledge predict anti-malarial dispensing practice in drug outlets? A survey of medicine retailers in western Kenya |
title_short |
Does anti-malarial drug knowledge predict anti-malarial dispensing practice in drug outlets? A survey of medicine retailers in western Kenya |
title_full |
Does anti-malarial drug knowledge predict anti-malarial dispensing practice in drug outlets? A survey of medicine retailers in western Kenya |
title_fullStr |
Does anti-malarial drug knowledge predict anti-malarial dispensing practice in drug outlets? A survey of medicine retailers in western Kenya |
title_full_unstemmed |
Does anti-malarial drug knowledge predict anti-malarial dispensing practice in drug outlets? A survey of medicine retailers in western Kenya |
title_sort |
does anti-malarial drug knowledge predict anti-malarial dispensing practice in drug outlets? a survey of medicine retailers in western kenya |
publisher |
BMC |
publishDate |
2012 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.1186/1475-2875-11-263 https://doaj.org/article/0f6501374f50497eb29208543ac452e0 |
geographic |
Arctic |
geographic_facet |
Arctic |
genre |
Arctic |
genre_facet |
Arctic |
op_source |
Malaria Journal, Vol 11, Iss 1, p 263 (2012) |
op_relation |
http://www.malariajournal.com/content/11/1/263 https://doaj.org/toc/1475-2875 doi:10.1186/1475-2875-11-263 1475-2875 https://doaj.org/article/0f6501374f50497eb29208543ac452e0 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1186/1475-2875-11-263 |
container_title |
Malaria Journal |
container_volume |
11 |
container_issue |
1 |
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1766345031307755520 |