Why do health workers give anti-malarials to patients with negative rapid test results? A qualitative study at rural health facilities in western Uganda

Table 1 Results of the prescription audit (% RDT-negative prescriptions containing), spanning a two month period at 30 health facilities, 2011

	N	% of total
Total RDT-negative patients	8344	100.0 %
Anti-malarials	339	4.1 %
Artemether/lumefantrine (AL)	151	1.8 %
Sulfadoxine/pyrimethamine (SP)	141	1.7 %
Quinine (tabs or injection)	51	0.6 %
Total anti-malarials prescribed	341	n/a
Prescriptions containing more than 1 anti-malarial^a	4	n/a
Antibiotics	6509	78.0 %
Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (cotrimoxazole)	4253	51.0 %
Amoxicillin	1195	14.3 %
Metronidazole	978	11.7 %
Total antibiotics prescribed	8227	n/a
Both an anti-malarial and an antibiotic	221	2.7 %

ISSN: 1475-2875