Characteristics of pharmacies and health facilities in Mtwapa and Shanzu, coastal Kenya, 2011
| Characteristic | Pharmacies (N=20) | Health facilities | p Value* | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Private (N=20) | Government (N=4) | |||
| N (%) or median (IQR†) | N (%) or median (IQR†) | |||
| Total number of staff (including interviewees)‡ | 2 (1–3) | 4 (3–6) | 22 (16–30) | 0.03 |
| Opening hours | ||||
| Open 6 days per week (various hours) | 20 (100%) | 19 (95%) | 2 (50%) | 0.01 |
| Open 7 days per week (various hours) | 10 (50%) | 17 (85%) | 2 (50%) | |
| Open 7 days per week, 24 h daily | 0 | 13 (65%) | 1 (25%) | |
| Mean opening hours per day | 13 (12–14) | 24 (13–24) | 9 (8–17) | 0.04 |
| Patient load | ||||
| Total number of clients per day (all ages) | 60 (30–100) | 10 (10–15) | 183 (90–350) | 0.03 |
| Male urethritis cases per week | 5 (2–10) | 3 (1–3) | 5 (2–17) | 0.03 |
| Reference materials present | ||||
| Formularies (Drug Index, BNF, MIMS Africa) | 17 (85%) | 12 (60%) | 1 (25%) | |
| Medical references | 6 (30%) | 6 (30%) | 1 (25%) | |
| STI guideline or flow chart | 1 (5%) | 7 (35%) | 2 (50%) | |
| Internet access (computer or mobile phone) | 15 (75%) | 14 (75%) | 3 (75%) | |
| Services relevant to STI/HIV management | ||||
| HIV testing | 0 | 19 (95%) | 4 (100%) | |
| HIV care services§ | 0 | 1 (5%) | 4 (100%) | <0.001 |
*p Values listed where there is significant difference (p<0.05) between private and government health facilities.
†All figures rounded to zero decimal places.
‡This includes both staff with healthcare training (medical, nursing, laboratory, pharmacy) and those with other qualifications.
§HIV care services include post-exposure prophylaxis, prevention of mother-to-child transmission and antiretroviral therapy.
BNF, British National Formulary; IQR, interquartile range; MIMS, Monthly Index of Medical Specialties; STI, sexually transmitted infections.