Influence of Location and Staff Knowledge on Quality of Retail Pharmacy Prescribing for Childhood Diarrhea in Kenya

Abstract

Location of a retail pharmacy in a rural area or in a low-income urban neighborhood was associated with suboptimal quality of prescribing as evidenced by lower use of ORS. No relationship between clinical knowledge and quality of practice was detected. Future research is needed to examine such factors as the influence of intra-pharmacy authority structure, perceived efficacy of pharmaceuticals, local patterns of physician practice, and economic incentives on the quality of prescribing.