ABSTRACT
Illicit sale of medicines is a serious public health problem in Africa. In Benin, an informational program was undertaken to fight this threat. A three-day survey on consumption of medicines was conducted in various areas in Cotonou. The purpose was to evaluate purchasing practices so that related concerns and beliefs could be used to craft messages for the next campaign to curb illicit medicines. In addition to being a tool for message development, this survey will be used as an evaluation tool to measure message impact during and after the information campaign. A questionnaire designed to evaluate several aspects of drug purchasing behavior was administered by investigators in 600 randomly selected households. The main findings were as follows. Repressive measures to reduce the sale of counterfeit medicines on the illicit market are necessary but inadequate. New campaign messages for targeted groups are necessary since 86% of people interviewed thought that medicines acquired from street vendors were of good quality. More importantly it will be necessary to make legitimate medicines more accessible and affordable (generic drugs) and to simplify dispensation procedures allowing prescriptions to be filled followed by appropriate professional counsel.
Subject(s)
Commerce , Illicit Drugs/supply & distribution , Adult , Benin , Child , Female , Humans , Male , Surveys and QuestionnairesABSTRACT
A public awareness campaign mainly TV and radio announcements to promote public awareness of the dangers of counterfeit medicines was developed based on survey data collected in 2003. The survey was designed to evaluate the purchasing practices of consumers in Cotonou, Benin with regard to medicines. Based on findings, several recommendations were made for crafting new messages about generic drugs and the dangers of the illicit medicines market. Evaluation of the results of the new campaign that lasted 9 months showed that: most respondents stated that the campaign announcements were effective in increasing their awareness; nine out of 10 persons understood the messages on the dangers of the illicit market; a net decrease in buying on the illicit market was observed among respondents that increased their awareness; the frequency of house calls by illicit vendors decreased. Most respondents stated that they requested generic drugs spontaneously. The preferred sources for procurement of generic medicines were public health facilities and pharmacies.
Subject(s)
Fraud , Information Dissemination , Pharmaceutical Preparations , Benin , Cross-Sectional StudiesABSTRACT
La vente illicite de médicaments est un problème de santé publique en Afrique. Au Bénin, un programme de commu n i c ation pour lutter contre ce fléau a été mis en Åuvre. Cette étude sur la consommation des médicaments à Cotonou (Bénin),qui s'est déroulée pendant trois jours dans différents quartiers de la ville, avait pour objet d'évaluer les pratiques d'achat des consommateurs , de façon à tenir compte de leurs préoccupations et de leurs croyances dans l'élab o ration de messages de com- munication pour les prochaines campagnes de lutte contre le marché illicite. Cette enquête est un outil pour la conception des messages et, répétée pendant et après ces campagnes, elle sera aussi un outil d'évaluation de leur impact. Un questionnaire explorant plusieurs thèmes liés à l'ach at de médicaments, a été administré par les enquêteurs au domicile de 600 ménages sélectionnés aléatoirement. Les principaux résultats sont les suivants : les mesures de répression visant à réduire l'offre du mar- ché illicite des médicaments sont nécessaires mais pas suffisantes. Le contenu des messages de sensibilisation devra être revu et réorienté ve rs des groupes cibles , car 86% des personnes interrogées pensent que les médicaments de trottoir sont de bonne qualité. Il faudra surtout augmenter la disponibilité géographique au plus près des populations des médicaments financièrement accessibles (notamment des génériques) et mettre en place des procédures allégées de dispensation et de pre s c ription suivies d'un conseil professionnel approprié
