Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2014 Oct;91(4):844-853. doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.14-0126. Epub 2014 Jul 7.
Artemisinin combination therapies are available in private outlets, but patient adherence might be compromised by poor advice from dispensers. In this cluster randomized trial in drug shops in Tanzania, 42 of 82 selected shops were randomized to receive text message reminders about what advice to provide when dispensing artemether-lumefantrine (AL). Eligible patients purchasing AL at shops in both arms were followed up at home and questioned about each dose taken. Dispensers were interviewed regarding knowledge of AL dispensing practices and receipt of the malaria-related text messages. We interviewed 904 patients and 110 dispensers from 77 shops. Although there was some improvement in dispenser knowledge, there was no difference between arms in adherence measured as completion of all doses (intervention 68.3%, control 69.8%, p [adjusted] = 0.6), or as completion of each dose at the correct time (intervention 33.1%, control 32.6%, p [adjusted] = 0.9). Further studies on the potential of text messages to improve adherence are needed.
青蒿素复方疗法可在私人渠道获得，但配药人员提供的建议不当可能会影响患者的用药依从性。在坦桑尼亚的药店开展的这项整群随机试验中，从 82 家选定的药店中随机抽取 42 家药店，接受有关分发青蒿素-哌喹时提供哪些建议的短信提醒。在两个试验组的药店购买青蒿素-哌喹的合格患者会被居家随访，并询问他们每次服药的情况。对配药人员进行有关青蒿素配药实践知识的了解情况和疟疾相关短信接收情况的访谈。我们对来自 77 家药店的 904 名患者和 110 名配药人员进行了访谈。尽管配药人员的知识有所提高，但在以所有剂量完成（干预组 68.3%，对照组 69.8%，p[调整]=0.6）或按时完成每剂药物（干预组 33.1%，对照组 32.6%，p[调整]=0.9）作为衡量指标时，两组的依从性没有差异。需要进一步研究短信在提高依从性方面的潜力。
