Evaluation of the Level of Adherence to the Antimalarial Drug Policy by Prescribers in the treatment of Malaria in Child Health Directorate at Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital.
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Date
2010-08-11
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Abstract
The medicines recommended in the National Drug Policy that was adopted in 2005 for uncomplicated malaria was Artesunate Amodiaquine and that for complicated malaria was Quinine. The aim of this study was to determine the level of adherence by the prescribers at the Child Health Directorate of Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) to the policy for the treatment of malaria.
METHOD: The study design was retrospective, covering a six month period from August 2008 to January 2009. Five hundred paediatric patients aged one month to 14 years who contracted malaria and received treatment at the Child Health Directorate, of KATH was evaluated.
KEY FINDINGS: The ages of the patients ranged from 0.08years (one month) to fourteen years. Sixty percent of the cases were children below five years. Most of the malaria victims were children below five years. The most prescribed anti-malaria drugs for the management of uncomplicated and complicated malaria were Amodiaquine plus Artesunate (90.5%) and Quinine (99.03%) respectively. The mean length of hospital stay for survivors was five days and the percentage mortality was 0.3% (n=1). The dosage form mostly prescribed for the period was syrup, constituting 68.9% followed by injectables (18.1%). The rest were tablets (10.6%) and suppositories (2.4%)
CONCLUSION: the main anti-malarial prescribed for the management of uncomplicated and complicated malaria were Artesunate plus Amodiaquine (90.5%) and Quinine (99.03%) respectively. The level of adherence by the prescribers at the Child Health Directorate of KATH to the anti-malaria drug policy was high. This might have accounted for the high treatment success and the low mortality rate achieved.
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A thesis submitted to the Department of Clinical and Social Pharmacy, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology
in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science.