AUTHOR=Balquis Fatima , Sohail Muhammad Farhan , Hamid Huma , Ullah Waseem , Khan Amer Hayat , Shahnaz Gul 

TITLE=Potential and weak links in the management of tuberculosis by Pakistani private pharmacy staff

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Public Health

VOLUME=Volume 11 - 2023

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/public-health/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2023.983997

DOI=10.3389/fpubh.2023.983997

ISSN=2296-2565

ABSTRACT=The emergence of multi-drug-resistant Tuberculosis (MDR-TB) is a global threat and an obstacle
for effective control of Tuberculosis (TB) in Pakistan. Lack of proper TB knowledge of the staff
in private pharmacies and sale of compromised quality anti-TB drugs are the main instigators of
MDR-TB. Thus, the study was aimed at investigating the quality and storage conditions of fixed
dose combination (FDCs) anti-TB drugs along with the awareness of staff working in private
pharmacies regarding identification of potential TB patients and dispensing inappropriate
treatment regimens contributing in MDR-TB. Results revealed the presence of pharmacists only
at 11.5% pharmacies. About 81% staff at pharmacies had no awareness about MDR-TB while 89%
pharmacies had no TB related informative materials. Staff identified that most of the TB patients
(70%) were of poor socio-economic class which restricted their purchase of 4-FDCs only up to 2-
3 months. Only 23% were acquainted with Pakistan national TB program (NTP). Except for MDRTB, results showed significant correlation between experiences of staff with TB awareness.
Findings from the quality evaluation of 4-FDCs-TB drugs indicated that the dissolution and
content assay of rifampicin was not according to the specifications and overall 30% samples failed
to comply with specifications. However, the other quality attributes were within limits. Thus, in
conclusion, the data suggested that the private pharmacies could play a pivotal role in efficient
management of NTP by timely identification of TB patents coupled with proper disease and
therapy related education and counseling along with proper storage and stock maintenance