The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #67543

Olya M. Duzey, MPH¹, Thavrin Boukheng², and Socheat Doung, MD². (1) Center for Pharmaceutical Management, Management Sciences for Health, 4301 N. Fairfax Dr., Suite 400, Arlington, VA 22203, 1-703-248-1605, oduzey@msh.org, (2) National Malaria Control Program, Ministry of Health of Cambodia, 372 Monivong Blvd, Phnom Penh, Cambodia

In the past several years, regional and national programs have been implemented in Southeast Asia to improve malaria diagnosis and treatment and to prevent malaria transmission. However, there are populations, particularly along the Cambodian-Thai border, who do not use appropriate diagnostic and treatment services for various reasons, and who participate in irrational drug use practices. These factors contribute to the emergence and spread of multi-drug resistant (MDR) malaria.

As part of a comprehensive program of activities to address this problem, the Cambodian Malaria Control Program (CMCP), in collaboration with the WHO, EU, and with technical assistance of the USAID funded Rational Pharmaceutical Management Plus Program, adapted the RPM Plus developed Community Drug Management Assessment Tool for Cambodia. The purpose of the tool is to identify community drug management problems, including treatment-seeking behaviors for adult and child malaria, access to drugs and other commodities, and provider and consumer drug use practices that may affect the spread of drug resistant malaria.

The survey of community drug use practices was conducted in four Cambodian provinces along the Cambodian-Thai border in October 2002. Survey teams collected data on household and provider behaviors in response to symptoms of malaria. The findings of this study are being used by the CMCP and other organizations to rank malaria drug management problem areas, develop a drug use monitoring strategy, and help guide revision of existing interventions, or suggest design of new interventions to enhance appropriate use of antimalarials.

Learning Objectives:

At the conclusion of the session, participants will be able to:
• Define and identify the components of community drug management,
• Describe a methodology for assessing community drug use practices that can be applied not only to malaria but other health conditions, and
• Discuss how findings can be used to guide intervention development and monitor the effectiveness of those interventions dr

Keywords: Drug Use, Infectious Diseases

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.