Needs for Development of Technical Competencies in Consumer Protection in Health Products among Officers of Sub-District Health Promoting Hospitals in Buriram

Abstract

Objective: To determine the knowledge on consumer protection in health products among the officers at sub-district health promoting hospitals (SDHPH) in Buriram, their self-perceived competency level   and their expected competency level in this area.  Method: The study was a cross sectional research. Study population was officers in charge of or those assigned as officers in charge of consumer protection in all 226 SDHPH in Buriram. Research instrument was questionnaire with the questions on basic knowledge regarding health products, consumer protection, self-perceived competency levels in consumer protection, and expected competency levels in this area. The questionnaires were mailed to those in provincial public health office who further forwarded the questionnaires to the subjects and collected them later. Results: One hundred and eighty six subjects (82.3%) completed the questionnaires. The subjects showed inadequate knowledge on food regarding appropriate temperature for storage of pasteurized milk (53.2% of subjects responded correctly), limit of polar compounds in repeatedly heat cooking oil (22.0% of subjects responded correctly) and legal penalty for producing or selling in-purified food (14.5% of subjects responded correctly). For knowledge on drug labels, 52.7% of subjects gave a correct answer. Two questions on cosmetics with less than 60% of subjects with a correct response were the display of registration number on the labels (57.0% of subjects with a right answer) and no legal requirement for prior approval of cosmetics advertising from FDA (8.1% of subjects with a right answer). Two issues on knowledge for working on consumer protection with less than 55% of subjects with a correct response were the use of test kit for pesticides (53.8% of subjects with a correct answer) and the display of FDA symbol on the labels of health products (13.4% of subjects with a correct answer). The subjects reported low levels of competency in litigation (seizure and distrainment of illegal food; collection of evidence for litigation) and the surveillance of health products (sampling of products and sending them to the Department of Medical Sciences; the examination of health products by test kits). The subjects expected to have a high level in all surveyed competency (more than 4 out of full score of 5). The competencies with the highest need for development (largest differences between perceived and expected competency levels) were those for litigation and surveillance of health products (sampling of products and sending them to the Department of Medical Sciences; the examination of health products by test kits). Conclusion: The officers in SDHPH of Buriram still need competency development on consumer protection in health products. Therefore, training program should be arranged in accordance of their need in order to improve the efficiency of working in this area.