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Diagnoses and prescriptions for patients managed during a free health care day in Eldoret, Kenya
1Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Moi University, Eldoret, Kenya.
Abstract:
Diagnoses and prescriptions for 2,218 patients seen during a "Free Health Care Day" in a semi-urban African town were reviewed. There was a marked tendency to over-prescription, coupled with a failure to use available laboratory tests to diagnose conditions such as malaria and intestinal parasites. Only 37 of 413 patients with malaria had a diagnostic blood smear (17 positive, 20 negative) done. Nevertheless, many patients without any clear diagnosis received multiple drugs. The mean number of drugs prescribed was two; and three or more drugs were prescribed for 677 (33%) patients. The adverse pharmacological and financial aspects of excessive drug prescription are stressed in this communication.
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