Assessment of knowledge and practice on the identification and reporting of substandard and falsified medical products among Healthcare providers in Tanzania

Abstract The circulation of substandard and falsified medical products in the pharmaceutical markets is a global health problem. The existence of these products undermines the efficiency of the healthcare delivery system and economic development. This research aimed at assessing the level of knowledge and practice among Tanzanian healthcare providers on the identification and reporting of substandard and falsified medical products. Participants included pharmacists, medical doctors, nurses, dentists, and medical laboratory scientists holding bachelor’s degrees and providing health services in Tanzania. Google forms were used for data collection and the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) 23 was used for data analysis. About 81.9% and 71.2% of respondents were found to have a good level of knowledge and practice on substandard and falsified medical products identification and reporting respectively. However, 92.5% and 84% of the pharmacists were having higher knowledge and practice than other cadres. The age, experience, facility type, and professional cadres were significantly associated with both the respondent’s knowledge and practice. Furthermore, only 13.2% of the respondents reported having learned about substandard and falsified medical products from universities and 53.8% reported having no idea of reporting tools for these products. The level of knowledge and practice of Tanzanian healthcare providers on identifying and reporting substandard and falsified medical products was good. However, regular training and improvement of the medical school's curriculum are necessary to equip Tanzanian healthcare providers with the necessary knowledge and good practice in identifying and reporting Substandard and falsified medical products.