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

ABSTRACT

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