RESUMO
Background: The National Malaria Control Programme has adopted recently a new treatment guideline. The guideline recommends the use of artemisinin based combination therapy (ACT) as first and second line for uncomplicated malaria at all levels of health system.The aim of this study is to assess the prescribing and dispensing practices at the level of dispensaries in relation to treatment of malaria.Methods:This is a descriptive, cross sectional, health facility based study conducted in White Nile State, central Sudan in September to October 2005, where all the four localities were included and represented by random selection of six administrative units. Out of all, 20 dispensaries and their health workers, as well as 734 patients were selected randomly and investigated using a modified WHO manual. Results: The study found that 90% of the health workers have not been trained on the new protocol and Only 0% of dispensaries have a copy of the new protocol in poster form. Malaria diagnosis in only 25% of dispensaries depends upon symptoms, signs and microscopy. There is a high rate of prescribing combination of antibiotics with antimalarial as well as high rate of injectable preparations; 52.4% and 45% respectively. The most frequent antimalarial drug available in the dispensaries and prescribed for patients was chloroquine (32.1%). Out of all, 56.1% of prescription was a single drug and 57% of the prescription contained analgesic. Conclusion: The implementation of the new treatment guideline at this level of health system is far from the required. Efforts are urgently needed to increase the coverage with ACTs