Evidence map›Paper›PMID 30400908›Full record

ArticleMalaria journal2018

A decade since sulfonamide-based anti-malarial medicines were limited for intermittent preventive treatment of malaria among pregnant women in Tanzania.

Alphonce I Marealle, Dennis P Mbwambo, Wigilya P Mikomangwa, Manase Kilonzi, Hamu J Mlyuka, Ritah F Mutagonda

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Malaria journal, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
0.2field-weighted citation impact, top 34% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed, 9 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Review
  2. Review
  3. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Alphonce I MarealleDepartment of Clinical Pharmacy & Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Muhimbili University of Health & Allied Sciences, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. marealle2010@gmail.com.
Dennis P MbwamboMuhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
Wigilya P MikomangwaDepartment of Clinical Pharmacy & Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Muhimbili University of Health & Allied Sciences, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
Manase KilonziDepartment of Clinical Pharmacy & Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Muhimbili University of Health & Allied Sciences, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
Hamu J MlyukaDepartment of Clinical Pharmacy & Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Muhimbili University of Health & Allied Sciences, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
Ritah F MutagondaDepartment of Clinical Pharmacy & Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Muhimbili University of Health & Allied Sciences, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences · TZ

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundDespite the development of resistance to Plasmodium falciparum malaria, sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine is still effective for intermittent preventive treatment of malaria in pregnancy (IPTp). In Tanzania, more than 10 years have passed since sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine and sulfamethopyrazine-pyrimethamine (SPs) were reserved for IPTp only. However, the retail pharmaceutical outlet dispensers' knowledge and their compliance with the policies have not been recently explored. Therefore, this study was designed to investigate dispensers' knowledge about these medications together with their actual dispensing practices, a decade since they were limited for IPTp use only.

methodsThis descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted between February and July 2017 in all municipalities of Dar-es-Salaam city. Data were collected by direct interviews using a structured questionnaire to assess knowledge and a simulated client approach was used to assess the actual practice of medicine dispensers. Data analysis was done by using SPSS version 20 and Chi square test was used to test significant differences in proportions between different categorical variables. A p-value of less than 0.05 was considered to be statistically significant.

resultsA random sample of 422 medicine dispensers participated in this study whereby 185 (43.8%) were from community pharmacies and 237 (56.2%) from accredited drug dispensing outlets. The study revealed that SPs were available in 76% of the community pharmaceutical outlets in Dar es Salaam. In general majority of the dispensers (64%) had moderate to high knowledge about SPs and their indication. About 80% of the dispensers were aware that SP is reserved for IPTp. However, irrespective of the level of knowledge, almost all dispensers (92%) were willing to dispense the medicines for the purpose of treating malaria, contrary to the current Tanzania malaria treatment guideline.

conclusionMajority of the medicine dispensers in the community pharmaceutical outlets were knowledgeable about SPs and their indications. Disappointingly, almost all dispensers irrespective of their levels of knowledge were willing to dispense SPs for treatment of malaria contrary to the available treatment guidelines.

Indexed as

AntimalarialsClinical CompetenceCross-Sectional StudiesDrug CombinationsFemaleHumansMalariaMalaria, FalciparumPharmaciesPregnancyPregnancy Complications, ParasiticPyrimethamineSulfadoxineSulfaleneSulfonamidesTanzaniaAntimalarialsDrug Combinationsfanasil, pyrimethamine drug combinationPyrimethamineSulfadoxineSulfaleneSulfonamidesAvailabilityKnowledgeMedicine dispensersPracticeSulfonamide-based antimalarials

Identifiers

PMID30400908
PMCPMC6219183
OpenAlexW2900076457

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.