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MIND
LINES
AGAINST
GUIDELINES
IN
TREATMENT
OF
MALARIA
…

adhering
to
standard
treatment
guidelines.
Most
of
the
prescribers
were
unaware

of
the
standard
treatment
guidelines
and
have
never
received
any
training
on

them.

The
standard
treatment
guidelines
were
not
available
in
any
of
the

healthcare
facilities.
This
clearly
reflects
on
the
poor
implementation
of
standard

treatment
guidelines
for
malaria
in
the
country.
However,
adherence
of

prescribers
with
the
standard
treatment
guidelines
was
significantly
improved

after
receiving
training
on
them
in
Nigeria
(16).

5.
CONCLUSION

The
present
study
revealed
that
despite
the
availability
of
standard

treatment
guidelines
in
the
country,
the
pattern
of
prescription
in
terms
of

adherence
and
rationality
remains
poor.

There
is
an
urgent
need
to
implement
standard
treatment
guidelines
and

develop
ways
and
means
to
ensure
their
availability
and
adherence
of
prescribers

to
them
in
the
healthcare
facilities.
Malaria
control
program
must
play
its
role

more
effectively
and
should
arrange
special
training
programs
for
the
prescribers

on
standard
treatment
guidelines.

Regular
continuing
medical
education
(CME)
must
be
made
mandatory
for

the
prescribers
to
attend,
so
as
to
update
their
knowledge.
A
check
on
the
influence

of
pharmaceutical
companies
and
their
representatives
needs
to
be
maintained
in

health
institutions,
to
minimize
their
influence
on
the
drug
prescription.
All
these

measures
would
go
a
long
way
in
provision
of
more
rational,
economical,
and

effective
treatment
to
the
patients
and
control
of
the
disease.

5.
REFERENCES

1. Juncosa,
B.,
(2008)
Antibiotic
Resistance:
Blame
It
on
Lifesaving
Malaria
Drug?,

Scientific
American.,
2008,
July,21

2. Chukwuani,
C.,
Onifade,
M.
and
Sumonu
K.(2002).
Survey
of
drug
use
practices
and

antibiotic
prescribing
pattern
at
a
general
hospital
in
Nigeria.
Pharmacy
World
&

Science,

24(5):
188-­-195.

3. Le
Grand,
A.,
Hogerzeil,
H.V.
and
Haaijer-­-Ruskamp,
F.M.
(1999)
Intervention
research
in

rational
use
of
drugs:
a
review.
Health
Policy
and
Planning,.
14(2):

89.

4. Directorate
of
Malaria
Control
and
WHO
(2005)
National
treatment
guidelines
for

malaria,.

5. Nizamani,
A.,
Kalar,
N.A.
and.
Khushk,
I.A
(2006)
Burden
of
malaria
in
Sindh,
Pakistan:
a

two
years
surveillance
report.
J.
Liaqat
Uni.
Med.
Health
Sci.,
5:
76-­-83

6. Meremikwu,M.,
Okomo,U.,
Nwachukwu,
Ch.,
Oyo-­-ItaA.,
Eke-­-Njoku,J.,
Okebe1,
J.,
Oyo-­-Ita,E.

and
Garner,
P.
(
2007)
Antimalarial
drug
prescribing
practice
in
private
and
public

health
facilities
in
South-­-east
Nigeria:
a
descriptive
study.
Malar
J.
6(55).

doi:10.1186/1475-­-2875-­-6-­-55

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