Request for Antimalarial Medicines and Their Dispensing Without a Prescription in Community Pharmacies in Rwanda.

Purpose: This study aimed to explore the request and dispensing of antimalarial medicines without a prescription in community pharmacies in Rwanda, as well as factors associated.

Methods: We employed an embedded mixed-methods design that involved a convenience sample of 235 licensed community pharmacists between February and April 2022. To simultaneously collect qualitative and quantitative data, we used a self-administered questionnaire containing a combination of close and open-ended questions.

Malaria rapid diagnostic tests in community pharmacies in Rwanda: availability, knowledge of community pharmacists, advantages, and disadvantages of licensing their use.

Background: Presumptive treatment of malaria is often practiced in community pharmacies across sub-Saharan Africa (SSA).To address this issue, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that malaria Rapid Diagnostic Tests (m-RDTs) be used in these settings, as they are used in the public sector. However, their use remains unlicensed in the community pharmacies in Rwanda.