A quantitative survey was conducted to analyze the type of assistance provided by pharmacy employees for cases of STDs. Simulated customer visits and interviews were conducted in 70 pharmacies in Brasilia and Taguatinga, Brazil, randomly assigned to two groups, one of which participated in educational activities on STDs. There were 411 simulated client visits to the pharmacies, with the following results: recommendation to seek medical care in 30% of cases, while in 70% of cases the pharmacy employees themselves recommended some drug treatment (although only 16.4% admitted to such practice). None of these suggested treatments was appropriate, based on the syndromic approach. Recommendations for prevention and treatment of partners were rare. Pharmacists recommended consulting a physician more frequently than attendants, and the latter recommended medicines more frequently than the former. Pharmacy workers had only superficial knowledge of STDs. After an educational intervention, none of the indicators showed a significant improvement in either group. The observations point to the need for regulation and intervention to publicize educational practices for the control of diseases like STDs and for the rational use of medicines in pharmacies.
Pharmacy; Sexually Transmitted Diseases; Intervention Studies
