Table 3.
Provider attributes and blister-cutting practices in private sector outlets stocking anti-malarials
| Total | Healthcare providers | Retailers | p value* | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Private facility | Health worker | Total | Pharmacy | Itinerant drug vendor | General retailer | Total | |||
| N (%) | 1,159 | 194 (17%) | 218 (19%) | 412 (36%) | 342 (29%) | 136 (12%) | 269 (23%) | 747 (64%) | |
| Education | |||||||||
| Primary | 81 (7%) | 0 (0%) | 4 (2%) | 4 (1%) | 4 (1%) | 16 (12%) | 57 (21%) | 77 (10%) | <0.001 |
| High school | 446 (38%) | 2 (1%) | 107 (49%) | 109 (26%) | 96 (28%) | 94 (69%) | 147 (55%) | 337 (45%) | <0.001 |
| Graduate | 632 (55%) | 192 (99%) | 107 (49%) | 299 (73%) | 242 (71%) | 26 (19%) | 65 (24%) | 333 (45%) | <0.001 |
| Type of health provider† | |||||||||
| Medical doctor | 185 (16%) | 178 (92%) | 0 (0%) | 178 (43%) | 7 (2%) | 0 (0%) | 0 (0%) | 7 (1%) | <0.001 |
| Nurse/midwife | 229 (20%) | 21 (11%) | 122 (56%) | 143 (35%) | 52 (15%) | 26 (19%) | 8 (3%) | 86 (12%) | <0.001 |
| Health assistant | 26 (2%) | 2 (1%) | 20 (9%) | 22 (5%) | 3 (1%) | 1 (1%) | 0 (0%) | 4 (1%) | < 0.05 |
| Pharmacist | 35 (3%) | 5 (3%) | 2 (1%) | 7 (2%) | 24 (7%) | 1 (1%) | 3 (1%) | 28 (4%) | <0.001 |
| Knows types of malaria | 523 (45%) | 97 (50%) | 192 (88%) | 289 (87%) | 116 (34%) | 64 (47%) | 54 (20%) | 234 (31%) | <0.001 |
| Know first-line treatment for falciparum malaria | 233 (20%) | 95 (49%) | 113 (52%) | 208 (50%) | 14 (4%) | 11 (8%) | 5 (2%) | 30 (4%) | <0.001 |
| Provider practice: do cut the blisters | 531 (46%) | 19 (10%) | 43 (20%) | 62 (15%) | 205 (60%) | 57 (42%) | 207 (77%) | 469 (63%) | <0.000 |
* Comparing healthcare providers to retailers.
†Columns do not always add up to 100% because multiple responses are possible.