Objective: to document the effectiveness of an educational intervention in improving knowledge of and practice in dispensing emergency contraception (EC) among drugstore personnel in Thailand.
Methods: Sixty of 120 drugstores in Hat Yai, a city in Southern Thailand, were randomly selected, and half of them were randomly assigned to participate in an educational program. Well-trained "secret" shoppers went into each store before the intervention and at 1 and 3 months after the program to assess the knowledge of and practice in dispensing EC among the drugstore personnel.
Results: Dispensing practices at baseline were poor to fair and knowledge was fair in both groups. Sellers in the intervention group improved significantly in choice of drug, advice provided, and knowledge of the time limit for initiating EC, but those in the control group did not. However, proper history taking on the time of intercourse and menstrual cycle was poor in both groups at all study periods.
Conclusion: All drugstore personnel should be educated on the importance of history taking and on the time limit for initiating EC.