Pharmacy Workers' Sexually Transmitted Diseases/HIV Knowledge in Fuzhou, China: Implications for HIV Testing, Treatment and Prevention Strategies

Because pharmacies in China play a special role in providing treatment services for STD-infected patients, the authors identified a need to study the STD and HIV knowledge of retail pharmacy workers.

The researchers recruited 200 pharmacy workers from 120 randomly selected retail pharmacies in Fuzhou, China. A self-administered questionnaire collected information on demographics, working experience, pharmacy structure, clientele profile, workers' attitudes toward traditional Chinese folk remedies, and their knowledge of HIV and STDs.

The results indicated a significant association between HIV/STD knowledge and work-related training in the previous six months, holding a pharmacist's license and years as a pharmacy worker. Work-related training was also found to be significantly associated with knowledge of HIV and STDs. However, years of education and medical training failed to show a significant association with STD/HIV knowledge.

"In order to improve service quality and avoid misdiagnosis and inappropriate treatment of STD/HIV, on-the-job training or continuous education for pharmacy workers should be required, implemented, and monitored as part of the national effort for STD control and treatment," the authors concluded.

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