Assessment of Compliance of Outpatient Prescribing with the Namibia Standard Treatment Guidelines in Public Sector Health Facilities

The Ministry of Health and Social Services (MoHSS), in partnership with the Systems for Improved Access to Pharmaceuticals and Services (SIAPS) Program, funded by the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and implemented by Management Sciences for Health (MSH), conducted an assessment of compliance of prescribers with the Namibia Standard Treatment Guidelines (STG) and changes in prescribing practices for selected conditions. The first comprehensive Namibia STGs were launched and distributed to all health facilities in the country in 2011. The main objectives of the assessment were to determine the extent of compliance of prescribers with the STGs, and to compare prescribing practices before and after the roll out of the STGs. The assessment also aimed to explore factors associated with compliance and to find out what activities were implemented in health facilities and regions to promote compliance with the STGs.