Abstract:

Background: Injections are the most common health-care procedure worldwide. In developing and transitional countries alone, some 16 billion injections are administered each year. Most injections, more than 90%, are given for therapeutic purposes while 5 to 10% are given for preventive services, including immunization and family planning. The majority of therapeutic injections in developing and transitional countries are unnecessary. Two studies from the United Republic of Tanzania, one of which was a survey of 66 clinics, concluded that 70% of all curative injections administered were unnecessary as oral medication could have worked in most cases. Patient’s preference for therapeutic injection has been attributed to a number of factors including, perceived efficacy over oral formulations and economic benefit of therapeutic injections to providers.

Aim: To access perception of patients attending sekou toure regional referral hospital regarding to medical injection and oral medication.

Methodology: A descriptive hospital based cross-sectional study was conducted among 300 patients who attended OPD at Sekou Toure Regional Referral hospital, Mwanza region. Data was collected using a structured questionnaire and analyzed using SPSS version 20.0 according to specific objectives.

Results: A total of 223(74.3%) participants thought that injections have higher efficacy in treatment, whereas 57(19.0) did not know which treated faster between injection and oral medications. Majority of participants who thought injection treat faster than oral medication believed that medication goes directly into blood and kills the microbes faster 136(53.8), 23(9.1%) thought injection treat faster, 17(6.7%) thought injection medication spread thought out the body compared to oral medications and others said it’s easy to complete dose if you are prescribed injections 25(9.8%). Of which 46(18.2%) thought injections treat faster but had no reason and 6(2.4%) was because they were used to medical injections.

Conclusion: Majority of participants 74.3%, thought that injection treat faster than oral medication with the reasons that injection medication goes direct into blood and kills microbes, injection medications spreading throughout the body compared to oral medication and others believed it’s easy to complete the dose with injection medication.