Abstract
BACKGROUND: Malaria is a highly debilitating and frequently fatal disease of wide distribution. Improper drug storage and rampant self-medication are some of the factors that may contribute to an increase in the development of drug resistance by malaria parasites towards antimalarials. OBJECTIVES: To determine the extent of antimalarial drugs storage, sources and associated factors at household level at Kiromo ward in Bagamoyo, Coast region, Tanzania after the introduction of SP replacing chloroquine as first line. METHODS: A total of 300 households from three villages making up Kiromo ward were included in this study. Swahili version of the questionnaire and a checklist were used in data collection. RESULTS: Of the 300 households visited 25 (8.3%) were found to store antimalarials. The most commonly stored antimalarials were amodiaquine (30.8%) and quinine (34.6%). Most of these were in tablet form (76.9%). The source of these drugs was mostly from dispensaries. Kiromo was the only dispensary in the ward and others were outside the ward. These drugs were stored in special containers for safety. Frequent episodes of illness in the family were given as the most (56%) common reasons for drug storage in the families, followed by distance (20%). There was a statistically significant (p<0.05) association between storage of antimalarial drugs and number of children in the family and presence of a family member with febrile illness. The study further showed that out of 26 different types of antimalarials stored, only 7 (26.9%) had expiry dates on the containers because these were original containers of the drugs. CONCLUSION: The study revealed that few households store antimalarial drugs with amodiaquine and quinine being the most stored. The majority of the households obtained antimalarial drugs from dispensaries. Health education should be given not only to the patients but also the entire general public on the appropriate drug use, safety, expiry dates and appropriate storage. A model dispensary like Kiromo should be implemented in other rural areas.