Dispensing of Emergency Hormonal Contraceptive Pills, Pregnancy Test Kits, and Pharmacy Services for Sexually Transmitted Infections by Drug Stores in Chon Buri Province

บทคัดย่อ

The objectives of this operation research were to study the sexual and reproductive health services of drug stores in providing the preventive and therapeutic cares for the STI/HIV, pregnancy test, condom supply, family planning as well as referral linkage with the related health services for youth clienteles. Questionnaires were distributed to get the information from 441 of the 634 (70%) drug stores in Chon Buri during 2009-2010. A large number, (16,870) of emergency hormonal contraceptive pills (EHC) was reported to be sold each month, and 14,883 condoms and 6,943 pregnancy test kits were distributed. The supply of EHC, condoms and pregnancy test kits by drug stores located near schools/academic institutions was significantly higher than those far away (p <0.05). STI services were reported to be 2,444 clienteles/month. Each month 5,168 customers bought medicine from advertisement. The variation of 19 antibiotics was dispensed for gonorrhea, non-gonococcal urethritis, and chancroid, in which 74.2% was in the quinolone group (such as ciprofloxacin and norfloxacin), 45.7% was doxycyclin, and 26.5% was azithromycin, and etc. Most of the drug stores provided general information about medicine and treatment but less advice on prevention and reproductive health. There were 358 drug stores (89.1%) willing to co-operate in the reproductive health service network. Training was needed by 94.0%, and 99.5% asked for information leaflets. As a result of the executive report by the authors, the provincial public health office had drug stores trained in the reproductive health service. The condom supplied through drug stores was the strategy to increase the accessibility of condoms for the prevention of HIV/STD.