E-DRUG: Fighting TB in Pakistan: private-sector pharmacies to increase early case detection
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fighting TB in Pakistan: New pilot engages private-sector pharmacies to
increase early case detection*
In Pakistan, the private sector caters to about 70% of the primary health
care needs of the population, though has historically not been engaged in
tuberculosis (TB) control or preventive activities. To engage the retail
pharmacies in TB control, the National TB program partnered with the United
States Agency for International Development (USAID)-funded Systems for
Improved Access to Pharmaceuticals and Services (SIAPS) Program to pilot an
intervention targeting the retail pharmaceutical sector in TB management
with the intention of increasing early TB case detection.*
TB is one of the biggest public health problems in Pakistan, ranking fifth
among high-burden TB countries, with the fourth-highest prevalence of
multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) globally.
In 2013/14 SIAPS assisted the NTP in implementing a pilot intervention to engage
276 retail pharmacies in six major cities in Pakistan in early case detection -
a key factor in reducing TB transmission.
Results from the pilot have shown that establishing a mechanism to refer
patients from private drug outlets to TB diagnostic facilities, combined
with improving dispensers' knowledge of TB symptoms and providing the
necessary tools, expands the NTP's reach and has the potential to
significantly increase TB case finding.
By implementing an innovative and flexible training methodology to meet the
needs of private pharmacies and forming partnerships with pharmacy schools
for TB control, SIAPS displayed a promising sustainable model for future
PPM in Pakistan. This was recognized during a December 10,
2015 national-level dissemination meeting with participants from donor
agencies, the NTP, implementing partners and a local pharmacy school. As a
result of the success of the pilot and the recent dissemination meeting,
SIAPS supported the NTP in the development of a concept note and tentative
budget for submission to the Global Fund to expand the project on a
national scale.
Read more about the pilot on the SIAPS website here:
Kelly Sawyer, MPH
Technical Associate, TB
Systems for Improved Access to Pharmaceuticals and Services (SIAPS)
Management Sciences for Health
4301 North Fairfax Drive
Arlington, VA 22203
United States
Direct: +1-703-310-3401
E-mail: ksawyer@msh.org