Buabeng Kwame O, Matowe Lloyd K, Smith Felicity, Duwiejua Mahama, Enlund Hannes
School of Pharmacy (Social Pharmacy), Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland.
Pharm World Sci. 2010 Aug;32(4):424-31. doi: 10.1007/s11096-010-9397-6. Epub 2010 May 22.
To obtain information about the staff resources available in licensed medicine outlets, assess their knowledge about malaria illness, current policy initiatives for malaria control, and the practices for prevention and management of malaria.
Hospitals/clinics and retail medicine outlets (community pharmacies and licensed chemical shops) from urban and rural areas in Southern and Northern Ghana.
A cross section of medicine outlets (n = 121) in the two geographic and socio-economically diverse settings in Ghana were sampled. Data on staff resources, their knowledge about malaria, and current initiatives for malaria control were obtained through structured interviews. Staff practices for prevention and management of malaria were assessed through observation of their practice during counseling, selection, and dispensing of anti-malarial.
Professional status of staff in the outlets, the proportion of staff with adequate knowledge on malaria illness and the initiatives for malaria control; skills and practices for the recognition, prevention, and management of malaria.
56% of the staff (n = 269) were non-professionals, whereas 44% (n = 212) were professionals. The hospitals/clinics had more professional staff per outlet than the retail outlets. One hundred and fifty four staff members, including those in-charge of the outlets at the time of data collection (n = 121), and others recommended by the in-charges or outlet owners (n = 33) were assessed. Of these, 83% knew the mode of malaria transmission, 81% could advise clients on practices for malaria prevention, 88% recognized signs/symptoms of uncomplicated malaria, and 64% those of complicated malaria. Less than 40% had adequate knowledge about current initiatives for malarial control, and only 21% could manage malaria cases as recommended by national guidelines.
Most of the staff, particularly those in the retail outlets were not professionally trained. The staff assessed could recognize malaria illness and counsel clients on practices for disease prevention. The majority, however, lacked knowledge on the current initiatives for malaria control and the skills to manage malaria cases appropriately. In order to achieve public health objectives, interventions to strengthen skills and improve practices for malaria case management are needed. Training on current initiatives for malaria control should also be considered a priority.
获取有关持牌药品销售点可用人力资源的信息，评估他们对疟疾疾病的了解、当前疟疾控制政策举措以及疟疾预防和管理的做法。
加纳南部和北部城乡的医院/诊所及零售药品销售点（社区药房和持牌药店）。
在加纳两个地理和社会经济情况各异的地区抽取了药品销售点样本（n = 121）。通过结构化访谈获取有关人力资源、他们对疟疾的了解以及当前疟疾控制举措的数据。通过观察他们在咨询、选择和配发抗疟药过程中的操作来评估工作人员预防和管理疟疾的做法。
销售点工作人员的专业地位、对疟疾疾病有充分了解的工作人员比例以及疟疾控制举措；识别、预防和管理疟疾的技能与做法。
56%的工作人员（n = 269）是非专业人员，而44%（n = 212）是专业人员。医院/诊所每个销售点的专业工作人员比零售销售点多。对154名工作人员进行了评估，包括数据收集时销售点的负责人（n = 121）以及负责人或销售点老板推荐的其他人（n = 33）。其中，83%知道疟疾传播方式，81%能够就疟疾预防做法向客户提供建议，88%能识别单纯性疟疾的体征/症状，64%能识别复杂性疟疾的体征/症状。不到40%的人对当前疟疾控制举措有充分了解，只有21%的人能够按照国家指南的建议管理疟疾病例。
大多数工作人员，特别是零售销售点的工作人员未接受过专业培训。接受评估的工作人员能够识别疟疾疾病并就疾病预防做法向客户提供咨询。然而，大多数人缺乏对当前疟疾控制举措的了解以及妥善管理疟疾病例的技能。为实现公共卫生目标，需要采取干预措施来加强技能并改进疟疾病例管理做法。对当前疟疾控制举措的培训也应被视为优先事项。
