An assessment of dispensing practices in private pharmacies in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania.

Objectives: To assess medicine dispensing practices in private pharmacies in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania and recommend interventions to improve practice.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey and observational study of dispensing practices among 70 pharmacies in metropolitan Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania.

Key Findings: There were 1479 dispensing encounters recorded across the 70 pharmacies.

Plants used to treat epilepsy by Tanzanian traditional healers.

A cross-sectional study performed in Temeke District (Dar es Salaam, Tanzania) showed that 5.5% of the traditional healers have knowledge for the treatment of epilepsy. Of the 100 healers interviewed, 30 (30%) believed that epilepsy was caused by witchcraft, while 19 (19%) thought epilepsy has a genetic origin which can be inherited.