What is DOTS Therapy?
Directly Observed Therapy Shortcourse (DOTS) is an international protocol for handling infectious diseases, most commonly tuberculosis. DOTS therapy uses a battery of drugs in a prescribed order to eradicate tuberculosis and avoid the creation of drug-resistant strains of the disease. Drug-resistant tuberculosis began to emerge in the 1980s, and was recognized as a global public health risk. Drug resistant forms of the disease often appeared in response to incorrectly applied therapies, and the World Health Organization, in cooperation with other public health agencies, developed DOTS therapy, adopting it in 1991. Patients undergoing DOTS therapy will be observed by a medical professional while they take medication. This ensures that the correct dosage of the drug is taken at the right time, and also that patients do not horde or sell their drugs. In many cases, DOTS therapy is used in a residential clinic environment, to be certain that patients do not vanish partway through treatment
