Patent Medicine Vendors in
Rural Areas of Lagos Nigeria: Compliance with Regulatory
Guidelines and Implications for Malaria Control
Abisoye S Oyeyemi1*,
Babatunde E Ogunnowo2 and Oluwakemi O Odukoya2
1Department of Community
Medicine, Faculty of Clinical Sciences, College of
Health Sciences, Niger Delta University, Wilberforce
Island, Bayelsa State, 2Department of
Community Health and Primary Care, College of Medicine,
University of Lagos, Lagos, Nigeria.
*For correspondence: Email:
abisoyeyemi@hotmail.com; Tel:
+234-8037049837
Received: 3 March 2013
Revised accepted: 12
November 2013
Tropical
Journal of Pharmaceutical Research, January 2014; 13(1):
163-169
http://dx.doi.org/10.4314/tjpr.v13i1.23
Abstract
Purpose: To determine the compliance
of patent medicine vendors (PMVs) in rural areas of
Lagos State, Nigeria with set guidelines to regulate
their practice and its implications for malaria control.
Methods: A baseline cross-sectional
study was conducted as part of an intervention study in
two rural local government areas (LGAs) of Lagos State
Nigeria. One hundred and eighty PMVs were randomly
selected and interviewed using structured questionnaire.
In addition, an observational checklist was used to
monitor the drug shops for compliance with regulatory
guidelines. Indicators of compliance used include
proportion of PMVs with valid practicing license and
proportion of shops with duly registered anti-malaria
drugs.
Results:
Most 148 (82.2 %) of the
respondents were shop owners with 170 (94.4 %) aged ≥ 21
years (the minimum age required by law) and a mean of
30.9 ± 8 years (range 16 - 67years). Only two (1.1 %)
PMVs had a valid annual practicing licence and only
three (1.7 %) of the drug shops had specified
sign-posts. The shops stocked various kinds of
anti-malaria drugs including those that are no longer
recommended. All the sampled drugs were duly registered
with NAFDAC and within expiry dates.
Conclusion: There was poor compliance
with regulatory guidelines. A strict enforcement of the
guidelines by the regulatory agency is recommended to
ensure that only licensed persons sell appropriate
anti-malaria drugs.
Keywords:
Patent medicine vendors,
Compliance, Guidelines, Malaria, ACTs.
