The Survey of Pharmacists and Undercover Patients, Madhya Pradesh, India, 2013 sought to understand the scale and quality of the retail market for medical abortion in Madhya Pradesh, India. Two types of data collection were conducted: First, trained field researchers interviewed the person behind the counter of pharmacies in the state using a structured questionnaire on the pharmacist's background characteristics, the sales, stocks and price of medical abortion, and the pharmacist's knowledge of abortion. Second, the actual quality of advice was observed using a mystery client methodology. One month after the interview of pharmacists, undercover patients presented themselves unannounced as a customer interested in purchasing a drug to induce an abortion. Within an hour of their visit the undercover patients met with their supervisor who used a structured questionnaire to note the advice given about dosage and directions of use of the drugs, potential side-effects, warning signs and the need to seek care, and post-abortion family planning.

Keywords

Abortion (induced); Condom use; Family planning; Medicinal drugs; Sexual health; Advice; Drug side-effects; India; Pharmacists; Antibiotics; Educational levels; Information; Pregnancy