As part of an ongoing pilot project to engage about 500 private retail pharmacies in six cities of Pakistan (Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Lahore, Peshawar, Karachi, and Sukkur) in the early detection and referral of tuberculosis (TB) cases, stakeholders in the National TB Program (NTP) have discussed the potential of pharmacies providing DOTS to clients. The present study was designed to evaluate the knowledge, perceptions, dispensing practices, case management, and adherence to standard NTP guidelines by dispensers, and the pattern of TB medicine sales by volume, brand, and price at community pharmacies.
