Understanding private retail drug outlet dispenser knowledge and practices in tuberculosis care in Tanzania

作者：Rutta E^*; Tarimo A; Delmotte E; James I; Mwakisu S; Kasembe D; Konduri N; Silumbe R; Kakanda K; Valimba R

来源：International Journal of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease, 2014, 18(9): 1108-1113.

DOI：10.5588/ijtld.14.0020

• pharmacy
• public-private partnerships
• referral and consultation
• drug seller

SETTING: Private sector accredited drug dispensing outlets in Morogoro and pharmacies in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. %26lt;br%26gt;OBJECTIVE: To assess 1) the level of knowledge about tuberculosis (TB) among dispensers in Tanzania%26apos;s retail pharmaceutical sector; 2) practices related to identification of patients with suspected TB; 3) the availability of educational materials and training; and 4) the availability of first-and second-line anti-tuberculosis treatment in retail drug outlets. %26lt;br%26gt;DESIGN: A cross-sectional descriptive study involving the administration of a structured questionnaire among drug dispensers in 122 pharmacies and 173 accredited drug dispensing outlets. %26lt;br%26gt;RESULTS: Private retail drug outlets are convenient; most are open at least 12 h per day, 7 days/week. Although 95% of dispensers identified persistent cough as a symptom of TB, only 1% had received TB-related training in the previous 3 years; 8% of outlets stocked first-line anti-tuberculosis medicines, which are legally prohibited from being sold at retail outlets. The majority of respondents reported seeing clients with TB-like symptoms, and of these 95% reported frequently referring clients to nearby health facilities. %26lt;br%26gt;CONCLUSION: Private retail pharmaceutical outlets can potentially contribute to TB case detection and treatment; however, a coordinated effort is needed to train dispensers and implement appropriate referral procedures.

• 出版日期2014-9