JAC Advance Access originally published online on March 2, 2007
Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy 2007 59(4):718-726; doi:10.1093/jac/dkm013
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Low sale of antibiotics without prescription: a cross-sectional study in Zimbabwean private pharmacies
1 Department of Clinical Pharmacology, College of Health Sciences, University of Zimbabwe, Harare, Zimbabwe 2 Department of Pharmacy, University of Limpopo, Sovenga, South Africa 3 Division of International Health (IHCAR), Department of Public Health Sciences, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden 4 Department of Public Health and Policy, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK 5 Medical Management Centre (MMC), Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden 6 The Nordic School of Public Health and Apoteket AB, Göteborg, Sweden
Received 3 October 2006; returned 13 November 2006; revised 9 January 2007; accepted 12 January 2007
* Corresponding author. Tel: +46-8-52483345; Fax: +46-8-31-1590; E-mail: nina.viberg{at}ki.se
Objectives: To assess the quality of private pharmacy practice with a focus on the extent of antibiotic sales without prescription in private pharmacies in four Zimbabwean cities in relation to two tracer infectious conditions—sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among females and males, and diarrhoea in a child.
Methods: A cross-sectional study including pharmacies in Harare and three other towns. Information about each pharmacy was collected through structured interviews. Staff were interviewed using a different structured interview guide and simulated clients were used to assess staff performance. Data were analysed statistically, and step models to evaluate pharmacist performance were developed.
Results: A majority (69%) stated that they would never sell an antibiotic without a prescription and very few actually did in spite of a high patient demand. Few respondents however performed acceptably regarding provision of information and advice in relation to guidelines: 8% for the STI male, 33% for the STI female and 22% for the diarrhoea scenario.
Conclusions: The study revealed low sales of antibiotics without prescription, showing good adherence to the letter of the law. However, few respondents performed acceptably in relation to guidelines when considering information and advice for the tracer conditions.
Keywords: sexually transmitted infections , diarrhoea , antibiotic regulation , pharmacy practice , health systems research
The first and second authors contributed equally.