Aid in Action

Drug Stores Enlisted to Expand HIV Prevention, Care and Treatment Services

Pharmacies and drugstores used in new outreach program

 | Wednesday, May 02, 2007

 

Pharmacies and drug stores in many developing countries have been known to serve as vital and accessible sources of healthcare information and services to the local communities. Customers can easily access drug stores and pharmacies in many towns and villages and take advantage of free consultations with pharmacists. But up till now, staff have rarely ventured outside their premises to take information and services to members of the community at large.

To tap this potential source of information, the USAID-funded Regional Outreach Addressing HIV through Development Strategies (ROADS)/Howard University pharmaceutical care component has integrated the community outreach component into its program. Through training workshops, Howard University Continuing Education (HUCE) in conjunction with the pharmacy and drug shop operators, have developed customized community outreach aids.

After training, pharmacy and drug store personnel have successfully conducted community outreach activities. In Mariakani, Kenya, pharmacy and private clinic operators formed a community based organization called Mariakani Outreach on Drug Use Adherence and Management (MODAM). Through MODAM they have been able to reach out to the community in different forums and pass on vital HIV and AIDS information and services to different community groups and age categories.

The lessons learned in Mariakani have been utilized to promote these activities in several other sites. For community outreach activities to be carried out successfully, a form of organization needs to be in place to coordinate the activities. In Busia and Malaba (Kenya/Uganda), a cross border coordinating committee was formed. Because of the cross border interaction between the two communities, the pharmacy/drug shop operators decided to develop joint activities. The group has been able to successfully conduct several community outreach activities and more are in the pipeline. Their success is being copied at other sites, including Malaba (Kenya/Uganda) and Makambako/Tunduma (Tanzania/Zambia).

In addition to their day to day interventions during routine services, trained pharmacy and drug store personnel have provided vital services to their communities and other target groups at schools, public clinics and hospitals, and transport stations.  Trained personnel from Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania encounter thousands of clients and have intervened with over 1,900 clients during their routine services. They have also passed on vital HIV and AIDS prevention, treatment and care messages to 1,416 individuals and provided Voluntary Counseling and Testing (VCT) services to 96 individuals during community outreach programs in Kenya and Uganda. Some of the messages and services provided during these activities include:

• HIV prevention;
• Proper condom use;
• Proper use and storage of medicines;
• Importance of adherence (with particular reference to HIV and related medication);
• VCT services (outreach).

By training pharmacists and drug store staff in community outreach, the program is reaching people who otherwise might not benefit from HIV/AIDS education and prevention.