Assessment of the drug therapy for sexually transmitted diseases in the White Nile State-Sudan

Abstract EN

Back ground:Irrational drug prescribing is a global problem.

It results in development of resistance to antimicrobials, ineffective treatment, adverse effects and economic burden on patient and society.

Objectives : this study was carried out to assess the use of drugs for treatment of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and to determine their prevalence in the White Nile State-Sudan 2002-2003.

Material and Methods : Twenty urban health centers were selected randomly, 30 prescriptions were collected from each health center and assessed against recommended standard therapy.

Results : the appropriate drug therapy according to diagnosis was selected in only 10.6 % of the collected prescriptions, only 42.2 % of them were with appropriate doses and duration of therapy.

Poly pharmacy was detected in 28.8 %, generic prescribing in 35.5 % and possible drug-drug interactions in 17.3 % of the total collected sample.

The prevalence of STDs among total patients was 1.9%.

78.8 % of the cases were females, 59.3 % were 15-29 years old and Kenana Health Centers showed the highest prevalence of STDs 3.4 %.

(P < 0.05) Conclusion : the results of the present study revealed that prescribing practices for the treatment of STDs were illogical; the reference chart prepared by federal ministry of health Sudan National HIV / AIDS / STD program must be reevaluated, because it is inappropriate and illogical.

Continuous training courses are urgently needed locally and nationally to raise the updating levels of medical.