Table 4.
Dispenser knowledge of correct advice (mean of cluster summaries)
| Control* (N = 37) % (SD) | Intervention* (N = 40) % (SD) | Adjusted prevalence ratio (95% CI)† | Adjusted P value† | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Proportion that gave correct advice on: | ||||
| Correct AL regimen for adult‡ | 78.4 (38.3) | 90.0 (33.7) | 1.19 (0.95, 1.49) | 0.075 |
| Correct AL regimen for a child (4 years and 20 kg)‡ | 63.5 (46.6) | 74.6 (40.4) | 1.20 (0.85, 1.70) | 0.2 |
| Take with fatty food | 20.3 (38.1) | 60.0 (45.6) | 3.41 (1.63, 7.12) | 0.0001 |
| Continue treatment if minor side effects occur | 42.8 (42.8) | 67.5 (45.2) | 1.58 (1.03, 2.42) | 0.019 |
| Return to ADDO or go to a health facility if condition worsens | 91.0 (25.3) | 100.0 | 1.04 (0.84, 1.31) | 0.7 |
| Take second dose after 8 hours | 86.9 (32.2) | 97.5 (15.8) | 1.11 (0.93, 1.32) | 0.1 |
| Take replacement dose in case of vomiting within half hour of taking dose | 49.5 (45.7) | 55.0 (46.4) | 1.20 (0.77, 1.86) | 0.4 |
| Complete treatment even if feeling better | 98.6 (8.2) | 98.8 (7.9) | 1.07 (0.88, 1.30) | 0.5 |
Total number of dispensers interviewed was 51 in the control arm and 59 in the intervention arm.
Adjusted for accredited drug dispensing outlet (ADDO) accreditation, number of customers at ADDO purchasing artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) (< 20 vs. 20 or more), dispenser medical qualification, and training on ACTs
To be considered correct, responses had to identify artemether-lumefantrine (AL) as first-line treatment and specify that six doses should be taken, with each dose consisting of four pills (adult) or 2 pills (child 4 years of age). Dose intervals considered correct included (A) taking a dose morning and evening for 3 days or (B) taking the second dose 8 hours after the first dose and the remaining doses 12 hours apart (or morning and evening for the next 2 days).