Prescribing rationality and availability of antimalarial drugs in Hajjah, Yemen.

This study in 3 districts of Hajjah governorate, Yemen, used WHO core indicators to investigate irrational prescribing of antimalarial drugs in public and private health facilities. Laboratory diagnosis rates were low in public facilities (21.2% of encounters). Informal prescriptions were issued in > 70% of encounters (public and private). Important patient and drug information was missing from many prescriptions. Both public and private facilities had high rates of prescribing multiple drugs (mean 3.0 and 4.0 respectively per encounter, maximum 11), brand-name drugs (32.9% and 64.2%) and injections (17.2% and 33.5%). The total number of antimalarial drugs registered in the country was found to be 98, with 52 different formulations and strengths of chloroquine. Efforts should be made to promote rational prescribing of antimalarials.