These results indicate that education and advertising interventions may prove successful in increasing the probability that customers will buy ACTs when given the opportunity, and ACT purchasing may increase over time without further intervention as individuals become accustomed to the product.
Individuals buying non-ACT antimalarial drugs at shops stocking ACTs tended to be of significantly higher SES than those buying ACTs; those individuals purchasing ACTs where they were available paid an average of Tsh680 (about $US 0.59) compared to an average of Tsh936 (about $US 0.78) for other antimalarial drugs (t=10.55, 1129 d.f., p<0.01).
Similarly, there was no significant difference in the proportion of consumers buying ACTs between high and low competition stores.
In August 2008, 44/83 (53.0%) of consumers purchasing anti-malarials for a child under 5 bought ACTs compared to 104/291 (35.7%) of those purchasing for an adult (p = 0.005).
When restricted to only shops stocking ACTs, the proportion of interviewed consumers and mystery shoppers buying ACTs was significantly higher than when all shops were included: 55.5% v. 44.2% (p = 0.001) and from 76.4% v. 56.9% (p = 0.001) respectively.
There was no correlation between the SES of the consumer and the likelihood of buying ACTs, with ACTs comprising 44.4% of purchases by consumers in the poorest two quintiles (n = 45) compared to 42.4% by those in the least poor quintiles (n = 328).
Finally, customers buying ACTs were slightly more likely to have done so because of a recommendation from a seller; 28.0% of ACT buyers (148/529) gave this reason compared to 22.7% of non-ACT buyers (132/581; χ=4.06, 1 d.f., p=0.04).
Price was indicated as a reason for buying ACTs for 17.20% (91/529) of customers while only 11.53% (67/581) gave that rationale for purchasing non-ACTs (χ=7.29, 1 d.f., p<0.01).
Customers who bought ACTs when given the opportunity to do so were significantly more likely to state that the drugs were most effective, while those who bought non-ACTs were more likely to explain that they preferred to buy familiar medications.
Sarkozy, who came in second with 27.1 percent of the vote, has advocated a "buy-French" policy and proposed a "Buy European Act" modeled on the United States' "Buy American Act" of 1933.
