EXPANDING PRESUMPTIVE PARTNER MANAGEMENT OF STIs TO RETAIL PHARMACIES

The effect of industrialisation has thrust the pharmaceutical profession into a clinical paradigm where the approach to pharmaceutical decisions is more disease and patient orientated. Consequently, South African community pharmacies are inundated with requests from the public for advice and treatment on a wide range of medical conditions, including sexually transmitted infections (STI''s). Although community pharmacies are often the first port of call for undiagnosed STI, limited diagnostic skills and legally-imposed prescribing restrictions preclude pharmacists from providing the necessary clinical management. This book presents objective arguments and evidences (new and existing) around an expanded role for pharmacists in STI partner management.