Diarrhea is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in childhood, and Brazilians rely heavily on pharmacies for the resolution of this and other health problems. To promote the rational use of both pharmaceuticals and oral rehydration therapy (ORT), an intervention study was performed in pharmacies in Southwestern Brazil. Semi-structured interviews showed oral rehydration solution, or ORS (50%), antidiarrheals (39%), trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (27%), and yeast (22%) to be the most frequently suggested drugs, whereas questionnaire responses were ORS (75%), trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (25%), and yeast (25%), thus revealing that more than one methodology is needed if reliable data are to be obtained. An educational intervention was applied to 86.7% of pharmacies, but acquisition of knowledge on management of diarrhea did not prevent pharmacy workers from suggesting antidiarrheal drugs instead of ORS alone. In order to have pharmacy workers comply with official protocols for episodes of diarrhea, interventions should include regulatory measures on drugs that are contraindicated for children, and the role of pharmacies and pharmacists should be reviewed.
Oral Rehydration Therapy; Pharmacoepidemiology; Drug Utilization
