Table 2

Medicines prescribed to febrile children attending the study PHC facilities in the three study arms.

Parameters
Clinical algorithm + microscopy (Arm-I)
Clinical algorithm (Arm-II)
No special Training (Arm-III)

Total number of patients
973
1058
1100
Patients with prescriptions
944 (97.0)
1057 (99.9)
1097 (99.7)
     Antimalarial drugs
576 (61.0) (CI: 51.6, 70.3)
1008 (95.2) (CI: 85.7, 100)
1091 (99.4) (CI: 90.9, 100)
     Antibiotics
434 (45.9) (CI: 28.1, 63.7)
593 (54.8) (CI: 37.1, 72.6)
375 (34.2) (CI: 17.9,50.5)
     Antipyretics
903 (95.7)
1027 (97.2)
1041(94.9)
Number of drugs prescribed
2306
2961
2718
Number of drugs per prescription
2.5
3.0
2.5
Average cost per antimalarial treatment
0.083 US$
0.072 US$
0.062 US$
Average cost of antimalarial drug/patient
0.050 US$
0.070 US$
0.062 US$
Average cost of all drugs/patient
0.200 US$
0.250 US$
0.170 US$

Values are numbers (percentages).

CI = (95% confidence interval).

1 US$ = 1000 Tanzanian shillings.

Ngasala et al. Malaria Journal 2008 7:199   doi:10.1186/1475-2875-7-199