Counseling in dermatology and cosmetology at pharmacies in Ouagadougou

In Burkina Faso as in other underdeveloped countries, access to health care in general and dermatology care in particular remains difficult. This situation puts pharmacies on the front line for providing counselling. We undertook a cross-sectional descriptive study of the pharmacies of Ouagadougou from October 1, 2002, through April 1, 2003. Our objective was to evaluate the prevalence of dermatological and cosmetic counselling. The study included 75.5% of all pharmacies and 150 service providers. Prevalence of dermatology counseling was considered moderate, as was the availability and use of dermatology products. Service providers did not know most of the common dermatology disorders and offered inappropriate advice and products. This study shows the gap between the need for counselling from pharmacies and its satisfaction. It also underlines the necessity of reorganization in this domain.