Attitudes, Practice and Predictors of Rational Use of Medicines among Medicines Prescribers and Dispensers in Nnewi Nigeria

Aims: Rational use of medicines (RUM) requires that patients receive the appropriate medicine, in the proper dose, for an adequate period of time, and at the lowest cost to them and their community. Positive attitude and practice of RUM among medicine prescribers and dispensers can be created through regular educational interventions. This study was aimed at assessing the attitude, practice and predictors of RUM among the practitioners in Nnewi, Nigeria.

Methodology: A cross-sectional study was carried out among pharmacists, other pharmacy staff in retail pharmacies, licensed proprietary patent medicines vendors (PPMVs), and medical doctors in Nnewi, Nigeria. Data was collected through self-administered questionnaire supervised by trained research assistants, between October 2014 and January 2015. Three hundred of seventy-five participants were recruited for this study. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 17 for windows was used for data analysis. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were carried out to evaluate differences and associations based on selected variables.

Results: The respondents who were predominantly aged 20-30 years (44.8%) with mean age of 33.2±8.9 years, consist of doctors (prescribers) and other healthcare practitioners (dispensers) in private and public sector. The dispensers expressed a markedly greater willingness to attend trainings on RUM than the doctors (p<0.02). In all the indicators considered, higher proportions of dispensers than prescribers said they practiced RUM in the previous 3 months. Age, medical and pharmacy occupations, high education, employee status and long work experience all significantly predict RUM among the respondents.

Conclusion: Practitioners were willing to attend trainings on RUM though the dispensers were significantly more enthusiastic about it than the prescribers. The practice of RUM among the respondents was however very poor. Higher educational status, older age group, government employee status and long work experience all markedly predict RUM.