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Dispensing pattern for acute non‐infectious diarrhoea in children at community pharmacies in Thailand
Author(s) -
Jaisue Siriluk,
Phomtavong Sommaly,
Euaanant Sasithorn,
Borlace Glenn N.
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
journal of pharmacy practice and research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.222
H-Index - 22
eISSN - 2055-2335
pISSN - 1445-937X
DOI - 10.1002/jppr.1345
Subject(s) - medicine , pharmacy , community pharmacy , family medicine , antibiotics , diarrhea , diarrheal diseases , pediatrics , medical emergency , microbiology and biotechnology , biology
Background In cases of non‐infectious diarrhoea in children, the WHO and the Thai Antibiotic Smart Use ( ASU ) project recommend that no antibiotics should be given and drinking water should be replaced with oral rehydration salt ( ORS ) solution until the diarrhoea is finished. Aim To survey the dispensing pattern for non‐infectious diarrhoea treatment in children in Thailand. Methods Simulated clients visited 91 Class I community pharmacies in five districts in Khon Kaen province and asked for advice to treat non‐infectious diarrhoea in a 14‐month‐old child. The patient history questions asked by the dispensers, the medications dispensed and non‐pharmacological advice given were recorded by the simulated clients immediately after leaving the pharmacy. Results In this study, ORS solution was correctly dispensed to the simulated clients in only 7.7% of pharmacies with 68.1% incorrectly dispensing antibiotics. More than half of the dispensers (57.1%) did not give any advice regarding non‐pharmacological treatment. Conclusion The results of this study indicate the need to implement a program to emphasise the importance of providing ORS and discourage the dispensing of antibiotics in this circumstance.