{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,7]],"date-time":"2026-07-07T21:43:17Z","timestamp":1783460597056,"version":"3.55.0"},"reference-count":23,"publisher":"Oxford University Press (OUP)","issue":"3","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2019,11,20]],"date-time":"2019-11-20T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1574208000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/journals\/pages\/open_access\/funder_policies\/chorus\/standard_publication_model"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":[],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2020,5,19]]},"abstract":"Abstract<\/jats:title>\n \n Objectives<\/jats:title>\n In many sub-Saharan African countries with restricted safe abortion services, community pharmacies are important sources of abortifacients. However, data on stocking and over-the-counter sale of abortifacients in community pharmacies are often limited. The main objective of this study was to compare stocking and over-the-counter sale of misoprostol at community pharmacies using questionnaire and mystery client surveys in Ghana.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Methods<\/jats:title>\n A cross-sectional questionnaire-based survey, complemented with a mystery client survey, was conducted at 165 randomly selected community pharmacies in Accra, Ghana. Structured questionnaires were administered to pharmacists\/pharmacy workers. A mystery client survey to each of these pharmacies was also undertaken. Descriptive statistical techniques (frequencies and proportions) were used to estimate and compare stocking and over-the-counter sale of misoprostol at community pharmacies from the two data collection methods.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Key findings<\/jats:title>\n Some 50.3% (83) of community pharmacists\/pharmacy workers reported stocking misoprostol and selling it over-the-counter for medical abortion in the questionnaire-based survey. However, in the mystery client survey, 122 (74%) pharmacists\/pharmacy workers reported stocking misoprostol and actually selling it over-the-counter to the mystery clients. Thus approximately 39 (24%) more pharmacies stocked misoprostol and sold it over-the-counter even though they originally denied stocking the drug in the questionnaire survey. Also, the drug was often sold without a prescription, and many did so without asking for a confirmatory pregnancy test or gestational age.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Conclusions<\/jats:title>\n In contexts where access to safe abortion services is restricted, mystery client surveys, rather than conventional questionnaire-based survey techniques, may better illuminate stocking and over-the-counter sale of abortifacients at community pharmacies.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1111\/ijpp.12593","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2019,11,20]],"date-time":"2019-11-20T10:10:12Z","timestamp":1574244612000},"page":"267-274","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":6,"title":["Stocking and over-the-counter sale of misoprostol for medical abortion in Ghana\u2019s community pharmacies: comparison of questionnaire and mystery client survey"],"prefix":"10.1093","volume":"28","author":[{"given":"John Kuumuori","family":"Ganle","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Population, Family and Reproductive Health, School of Public Health, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana"},{"name":"Stellenbosch Institute for Advanced Study (STIAS), Wallenberg Research Centre at Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Nana Tiwaa","family":"Busia","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Population, Family and Reproductive Health, School of Public Health, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3286-6565","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Leonard","family":"Baatiema","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Regional Institute for Population Studies, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"286","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2019,11,20]]},"reference":[{"key":"2021031319214791500_ijpp12593-bib-0001","first-page":"122","article-title":"Unsafe abortion: unnecessary maternal mortality","volume":"2","author":"Haddad","year":"2009","journal-title":"Rev Obstet Gynecol"},{"key":"2021031319214791500_ijpp12593-bib-0002","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"S1","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ijgo.2012.06.003","article-title":"Expanding access to medical abortion: perspectives of women and providers in developing countries","volume":"118","author":"Shah","year":"2012","journal-title":"Int J Gynecol Obstet"},{"key":"2021031319214791500_ijpp12593-bib-0003","volume-title":"Health Worker Role in Providing Safe Abortion Care and Post Abortion Contraception","author":"World Health Organization","year":"2015"},{"key":"2021031319214791500_ijpp12593-bib-0004","first-page":"158","article-title":"Pregnancy related causes of deaths in Ghana: a 5-year retrospective study","volume":"47","author":"Der","year":"2013","journal-title":"Ghana Med J"},{"key":"2021031319214791500_ijpp12593-bib-0005","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"23","DOI":"10.1186\/1478-4505-11-23","article-title":"Shaping legal abortion provision in Ghana: using policy theory to understand provider-related obstacles to policy implementation","volume":"11","author":"Aniteye","year":"2013","journal-title":"Health Res Policy Syst"},{"key":"2021031319214791500_ijpp12593-bib-0006","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"43","DOI":"10.29063\/ajrh2016\/v20i2.5","article-title":"Disparities in abortion experience and access to safe abortion services in Ghana: evidence from a retrospective survey","volume":"20","author":"Ganle","year":"2017","journal-title":"Afr J Reprod Health"},{"key":"2021031319214791500_ijpp12593-bib-0007","first-page":"80","article-title":"Overview of the law and availability of abortion services in Ghana","volume":"40","author":"Morhee","year":"2006","journal-title":"Ghana Med J"},{"key":"2021031319214791500_ijpp12593-bib-0008","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"54","DOI":"10.1186\/1478-4491-7-54","article-title":"The role of pharmacists in developing countries: the current scenario in Pakistan","volume":"7","author":"Azhar","year":"2009","journal-title":"Human Resources Health"},{"key":"2021031319214791500_ijpp12593-bib-0009","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"218","DOI":"10.1057\/jphp.2012.11","article-title":"Roles of pharmacists in expanding access to safe and effective medical abortion in developing countries: a review of the literature","volume":"33","author":"Sneeringer","year":"2012","journal-title":"J Public Health Policy"},{"key":"2021031319214791500_ijpp12593-bib-0010","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"164","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ijgo.2013.07.037","article-title":"Availability and provision of misoprostol and other medicines for menstrual regulation among pharmacies in Bangladesh via mystery client survey","volume":"124","author":"Huda","year":"2014","journal-title":"Int J Gynecol Obstet"},{"key":"2021031319214791500_ijpp12593-bib-0011","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"394","DOI":"10.1016\/j.contraception.2006.05.068","article-title":"Pharmacy provision of medical abortifacients in a Latin American city","volume":"74","author":"Lara","year":"2006","journal-title":"Contraception"},{"key":"2021031319214791500_ijpp12593-bib-0012","first-page":"13","article-title":"Abortion and contraceptive use in sub-Saharan Africa: how women plan their families","volume":"15","author":"Lauro","year":"2011","journal-title":"Afr J Reprod Health"},{"key":"2021031319214791500_ijpp12593-bib-0013","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"234","DOI":"10.1093\/heapol\/czh028","article-title":"Community pharmacy in Ghana: enhancing the contribution to primary health care","volume":"19","author":"Smith","year":"2004","journal-title":"Health Policy Plann"},{"key":"2021031319214791500_ijpp12593-bib-0014","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"300","DOI":"10.1016\/j.contraception.2012.05.056","article-title":"Misoprostol provision through community pharmacy and licensed chemical shops in Ghana","volume":"86","author":"Levandowski","year":"2012","journal-title":"Contraception"},{"key":"2021031319214791500_ijpp12593-bib-0015","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"167","DOI":"10.1002\/ijgo.12717","article-title":"Availability and prescription of misoprostol for medical abortion in community pharmacies and associated factors in Accra, Ghana","volume":"144","author":"Ganle","year":"2018","journal-title":"Int J Gynecol Obstet"},{"key":"2021031319214791500_ijpp12593-bib-0016","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"83","DOI":"10.1211\/ijpp.14.2.0002","article-title":"A systematic review of the use of simulated patients and pharmacy practice research","volume":"14","author":"Watson","year":"2006","journal-title":"Int J Pharm Pract"},{"key":"2021031319214791500_ijpp12593-bib-0017","volume-title":"Ghana Population and Housing Census 2010","author":"Ghana Statistical Service","year":"2012"},{"key":"2021031319214791500_ijpp12593-bib-0018","volume-title":"Gazette of Pharmacies","author":"Pharmacy Council of Ghana","year":"2013"},{"key":"2021031319214791500_ijpp12593-bib-0019","volume-title":"City of Accra: Ghana Consultative Citizens\u2019 Report Card","author":"Accra Metropolitan Assembly","year":"2010"},{"key":"2021031319214791500_ijpp12593-bib-0020","volume-title":"Elementary sampling theory","author":"Yamane","year":"1967"},{"key":"2021031319214791500_ijpp12593-bib-0021","volume-title":"Ghana Demographic and Health Survey 2014","author":"Ghana Statistical Service ( GSS )","year":"2015"},{"key":"2021031319214791500_ijpp12593-bib-0022","first-page":"1","article-title":"Availability and Provision of Abortifacients among Pharmacies in a Restricted Southeast Asian City","volume":"S1","author":"Reiss","year":"2014","journal-title":"J Pharmaceut Care Health Syst"},{"key":"2021031319214791500_ijpp12593-bib-0023","first-page":"80","article-title":"Overview of the law and availability of abortion services in Ghana","volume":"40","author":"Morhee","year":"2006","journal-title":"Ghana Med J"}],"container-title":["International Journal of Pharmacy Practice"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/api.wiley.com\/onlinelibrary\/tdm\/v1\/articles\/10.1111%2Fijpp.12593","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/pdf\/10.1111\/ijpp.12593","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/full-xml\/10.1111\/ijpp.12593","content-type":"application\/xml","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"http:\/\/academic.oup.com\/ijpp\/article-pdf\/28\/3\/267\/36596506\/ijpp12593.pdf","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"syndication"},{"URL":"http:\/\/academic.oup.com\/ijpp\/article-pdf\/28\/3\/267\/36596506\/ijpp12593.pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2021,3,13]],"date-time":"2021-03-13T19:24:10Z","timestamp":1615663450000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/ijpp\/article\/28\/3\/267\/6100290"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2019,11,20]]},"references-count":23,"journal-issue":{"issue":"3","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2019,11,20]]},"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2020,5,19]]}},"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1111\/ijpp.12593","relation":{},"ISSN":["0961-7671","2042-7174"],"issn-type":[{"value":"0961-7671","type":"print"},{"value":"2042-7174","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published-other":{"date-parts":[[2020,6]]},"published":{"date-parts":[[2019,11,20]]}}}