Articles

Prescription medicine sharing: exploring patients’ beliefs and experiences

Prescription medicine sharing has been defined as the lending of medicines (giving prescription medicines to someone else) or borrowing of medicines (being given and using a medicine prescribed for another per...

Authors: Kebede Beyene, Trudi Aspden and Janie Sheridan

The global intellectual property ecosystem for insulin and its public health implications: an observational study

Lack of access to insulin and poor health outcomes are issues for both low and high income countries. This has been accompanied by a shift from relatively inexpensive human insulin to its more expensive analog...

Authors: Warren A. Kaplan and Reed F. Beall

Economic contributions of pharmaceutical interventions by pharmacists: a retrospective report in Japan

Pharmacists in Japan currently play a key role in patient hospital care. Their responsibilities include filling prescriptions, checking a patient’s medication history, and providing appropriate information to ...

Authors: Daiki Yasunaga, Yuichi Tasaka, Satoshi Murakami, Akihiro Tanaka, Mamoru Tanaka and Hiroaki Araki

Assessment of current prescribing practices using World Health Organization core drug use and complementary indicators in selected rural community pharmacies in Southern India

Due to the lack of clear, comprehensive, and rational drug policy, the production of pharmaceutical preparations in India is distorted for the most part. Indian markets are flooded with more than 70,000 formul...

Authors: Anandhasayanam Aravamuthan, Mohanavalli Arputhavanan, Kannan Subramaniam and Sam Johnson Udaya Chander J

‘Better medicines for children’ within the Integrated Management of Childhood Illness framework: a qualitative inquiry in Uganda

The Integrated Management of Childhood Illnesses is the main approach for treating children in more than 100 low income countries worldwide. In 2007, the World Health Assembly urged countries to integrate ‘bet...

Authors: Xavier Nsabagasani, Japer Ogwal-Okeng, Ebba Holme Hansen, Anthony Mbonye, Herbert Muyinda and Freddie Ssengooba

Article 1: Supervision, Performance Assessment, and Recognition Strategy (SPARS) - a multipronged intervention strategy for strengthening medicines management in Uganda: method presentation and facility performance at baseline

Uganda introduced a multipronged intervention, the supervision, performance assessment, and recognition strategy (SPARS), to improve medicines management (MM) in public and not-for-profit health facilities. Th...

Authors: Birna Trap, Denis Okidi Ladwar, Martin Olowo Oteba, Martha Embrey, Mohammed Khalid and Anita Katharina Wagner

Experiences from a pilot study on how to conduct a qualitative multi-country research project regarding use of antibiotics in Southeast Europe

In 2014, a qualitative multi-country research project was launched to study the reasons behind the high use of antibiotics in regions of Southeast Europe by using previously untrained national interviewers (wh...

Authors: Susanne Kaae, Sofia Kälvemark Sporrong, Janine Morgall Traulsen, Helle Wallach Kildemoes, Lotte Stig Nørgaard, Arianit Jakupi, Denis Raka, Emre Umut Gürpinar, Ali Alkan, Iris Hoxha, Admir Malaj and Lourdes Arevalo Cantarero

Using health markets to improve access to medicines: three case studies

This editorial introduces a series of case studies that together highlight the use of health market interventions to improve access to medicines in low-and-middle income countries (LMICs). It underscores the a...

Authors: Zubin Shroff, Maryam Bigdeli, Zaheer-Ud-Din Babar, Anita Wagner, Abdul Ghaffar and David H Peters

First regulatory inspections measuring adherence to Good Pharmacy Practices in the public sector in Uganda: a cross-sectional comparison of performance between supervised and unsupervised facilities

Since its inception, the Uganda National Drug Authority (NDA) has regularly inspected private sector pharmacies to monitor adherence to Good Pharmacy Practices (GPP). This study reports findings from the first...

Authors: Birna Trap, Kate Kikule, Catherine Vialle-Valentin, Richard Musoke, Grace Otto Lajul, Kim Hoppenworth and Dorthe Konradsen

Drugs for cardiovascular disease in India: perspectives of pharmaceutical executives and government officials on access and development-a qualitative analysis

India shoulders the greatest global burden of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), which are the leading cause of mortality worldwide. Drugs are the bedrock of treatment and prevention of CVD. India’s pharmaceutica...

Authors: Charles Newman, Vamadevan S. Ajay, Ravi Srinivas, Sandeep Bhalla, Dorairaj Prabhakaran and Amitava Banerjee

Upstream solutions for price-gouging on critical generic medicines

Exorbitant price increases for critical off-patent medicines have received considerable media attention in recent months, leading to an investigation by the U.S. Senate. However, much of this attention has foc...

Authors: Adam R. Houston, Reed F. Beall and Amir Attaran

A cross-sectional survey of pharmacists to understand their personal preference of brand and generic over-the-counter medications used to treat common health conditions

Consumers are hesitant in choosing generic medications as they are under the assumption that they are not as safe nor effective as brand medications. However, pharmacists do have the education and training to ...

Authors: Mira Patel, Marion Slack, Janet Cooley and Sandipan Bhattacharjee

Selecting an appropriate strategy to make quality 7.1 % chlorhexidine digluconate accessible for umbilical cord care

Achieving increased access to medicines in low- and middle-income countries is a complex issue that requires a holistic approach. Choosing an appropriate manufacturing strategy that can ensure a sustainable su...

Authors: Mutsumi Metzler and Patricia S. Coffey

Access to new cancer medicines in Australia: dispelling the myths and informing a public debate

Despite the high level of spending on cancer medicines in Australia, consumer organisations and the pharmaceutical industry often make claims of delayed or lack of access to new cancer medicines—claims that ar...

Authors: Agnes Vitry, Barbara Mintzes and Wendy Lipworth

Evaluating availability and price of essential medicines in Boston area (Massachusetts, USA) using WHO/HAI methodology

Many patients even those with health insurance pay out-of-pocket for medicines. We investigated the availability and prices of essential medicines in the Boston area.

Authors: Abhishek Sharma, Lindsey Rorden, Margaret Ewen and Richard Laing

HIV/AIDS related commodities supply chain management in public health facilities of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: a cross-sectional survey

A wide range of pharmaceutical products are needed for diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of HIV/AIDS. However, interrupted supplies and stock-outs are the major challenges in the supply chain of ARV medicin...

Authors: Eyerusalem Berhanemeskel, Gebremedhin Beedemariam and Teferi Gedif Fenta

‘Struggling to be a defender of health’ –a qualitative study on the pharmacists’ perceptions of their role in antibiotic consumption and antibiotic resistance in Romania

Antibiotic resistance is a serious global public health problem directly correlated to high antibiotic consumption. Romania is one of the European countries with the highest rates of antibiotic consumption, no...

Authors: I. Ghiga and C. Stålsby Lundborg

Pharmaceutical policies in a crisis? Challenges and solutions identified at the PPRI Conference

In October 2015, the third international Pharmaceutical Pricing and Reimbursement Information (PPRI) Conference was held in Vienna to foster discussion on challenges in pricing and reimbursement policies for m...

Authors: Sabine Vogler, Nina Zimmermann, Alessandra Ferrario, Veronika J. Wirtz, Kees de Joncheere, Hanne Bak Pedersen, Guillaume Dedet, Valérie Paris, Aukje K. Mantel-Teeuwisse and Zaheer-Ud-Din Babar

Navigating through the maze of pricing and affordability of branded pharmaceuticals in the midst of the financial crisis: a comparative study among five European recession countries, from a Cyprus perspective

Financial recession mandated the introduction of harsh austerity measures. Health, and particularly pharmaceuticals, constitute a significant part of public expenditure and as such they have been subject to si...

Authors: Panagiotis Petrou and Michael A. Talias

Attitude and satisfaction of health care providers towards clinical pharmacy services in Ethiopia: A post-deployment survey

Clinical pharmacy service has evolved steadily over the past few decades and is contributing to the ‘patient care journey’ at all stages. The service improves safety and effectiveness of medicines, thereby avo...

Authors: Arebu Issa Bilal, Zelalem Tilahun, Gebremedhin Beedemariam, Belete Ayalneh, Bisrat Hailemeskel and Ephrem Engidawork

Challenges of medicines management in the public and private sector under Ghana’s National Health Insurance Scheme – A qualitative study

Ghana established its National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) in 2003 with the goal of ensuring more equitable financing of health care to improve access to health services. This qualitative study examines the...

Authors: Paul G. Ashigbie, Devine Azameti and Veronika J. Wirtz

Assessment of the nevirapine safety signal using data from the national antiretroviral dispensing database: a retrospective study

Clinical trials showed a higher risk of skin- and liver- related adverse reactions when NVP-based antiretroviral therapy (ART) was initiated in female and male patients with baseline CD4 cell counts ≥250 and ≥...

Authors: Francis Kalemeera, Assegid T. Mengistu and Johannes Gaeseb

Attitude, barriers and facilitators to practice-based research: cross-sectional survey of hospital pharmacists in Saudi Arabia

Little is known about the perceived attitude, barriers and facilitators of Saudi Pharmacists about practice based research. We aimed to measure the attitude, barriers, and facilitators of Saudi hospital pharma...

Authors: Khizra Sultana, Majed Al Jeraisy, Maha Al Ammari, Rahul Patel and Syed Tabish R. Zaidi

Governance and pharmacovigilance in Brazil: a scoping review

This scoping review investigates the relationship between governance, pharmacovigilance, and Agencia Nacional de Vigilancia Sanitaria (ANVISA) in Brazil, which has authority over Brazil's national pharmaceutic...

Authors: Kathy Moscou, Jillian C. Kohler and Anita MaGahan

Don’t sell out safety: a call to preserve risk evaluation and mitigation strategies to reduce harm to patients and the public in the U.S.

As medicines are becoming more targeted and complex in the U.S., ensuring patients’ safe use of medications with known dangerous risks is critical for public health and safety. Therefore, the Risk Evaluation a...

Authors: Stacey L. Worthy

Patient-centred innovation to ensure access to diabetes care in Cambodia: the case of MoPoTsyo

The increasing prevalence of chronic diseases puts a high burden on the health care systems of Low and Middle Income Countries which are often not adapted to provide the care needed. Peer support programmes ar...

Authors: Josefien van Olmen, Natalie Eggermont, Maurits van Pelt, Heang Hen, Jeroen de Man, François Schellevis, David H. Peters and Maryam Bigdeli

Erratum to: Accrediting retail drug shops to strengthen Tanzania’s public health system: an ADDO case study

Authors: Edmund Rutta, Jafary Liana, Martha Embrey, Keith Johnson, Suleiman Kimatta, Richard Valimba, Rachel Lieber, Elizabeth Shekalaghe and Hiiti Sillo

Engaging Nigerian community pharmacists in public health programs: assessment of their knowledge, attitude and practice in Enugu metropolis

The Nigerian health sector battles with control of infectious diseases and emerging non-communicable diseases. Number of healthcare personnel involved in public health programs need to be boosted to contain th...

Authors: Ogochukwu Offu, Maureen Anetoh, Matthew Okonta and Obinna Ekwunife

Evaluation of Ceftriaxone utilization in internal medicine wards of general hospitals in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: a comparative retrospective study

The irrational use of reserved antimicrobials, such as ceftriaxone, is one of the global public health issues particularly to low income countries like Ethiopia, leading to high costs of treatment or therapeut...

Authors: Tariku Shimels, Arebu I Bilal and Anwar Mulugeta

Improvements for international medicine donations: a review of the World Health Organization Guidelines for Medicine Donations, 3rd edition

Some humanitarian and development organizations respond to major natural disasters and emergencies by donating medicines. Many provide medicines on a routine basis to support health systems, particularly those...

Authors: Nuria Cañigueral-Vila, Jennifer C. Chen, Lindsey Frenkel-Rorden and Richard Laing

Regulatory withdrawal of medicines marketed with uncertain benefits: the bevacizumab case study

Withdrawal of conditional regulatory approval or subsidization of new medicines when subsequent evidence does not confirm early trial results may not be well understood or accepted by the public.

Authors: Agnes Vitry, Tuan Nguyen, Vikky Entwistle and Elizabeth Roughead

Prevalence, prescribing and barriers to effective management of hypertension in older populations: a narrative review

Hypertension is the leading modifiable cause of mortality worldwide. Unlike many conditions where limited evidence exists for management of older individuals, multiple large, robust trials have provided a soli...

Authors: Tariq M Alhawassi, Ines Krass and Lisa G Pont

Biosimilar medicines: creating sustainable competition in an era of a new patent cliff in biological medicines

Authors: Maarten Van Baelen

A framework for assessing the impact of pharmaceutical reimbursement policies on incentives to innovate

Authors: Elizabeth Docteur, Joshua Cohen, Brian K Bruen, Ruth Lopert, Avi Dor and Chuck Shih

Reimbursement categories as a way of allocating measures and monitoring expenditures on medicines

Authors: Aneta Lipińska, Maciej Pomorski, Wojciech Matusewicz and Katarzyna Jagodzińska-Kalinowska

Insurance-based risk-sharing agreements

Authors: Augustin Terlinden, Amine Aissaoui and Olivier Ethgen

The 19th EML as a global standard: an innovative approach or just an opportunity for new and effective medicines?

Authors: Nicola Magrini, Lorenzo Moja, Bernadette Cappello, Kees De Joncheere and Gilles Forte

30 years of media coverage on high drug prices in the US – a never-ending story or a time for change?

Authors: Christine Leopold, James D Chambers and Anita K Wagner

Determining the prices of the medicines in the absence of superiority over alternative medical technology

Authors: Wojciech Matusewicz, Katarzyna Jagodzińska-Kalinowska, Aneta Lipińska and Maciej Pomorski

A forecasting model for drug utilization and expenditure integrating a Cellular Automata model with the Budget Impact Analysis approach. Preliminary results

Authors: Roberta Joppi, Elisa Cinconze, Luca Demattè, Renato Guseo, Claudio Jommi, Cinzia Mortarino, Daniela Pase, Chiara Poggiani, Alessandro Roggeri and Daniela Roggeri

Approval, reimbursement and pricing of high-cost cancer medicines in Australia

Authors: Agnes Vitry

Developing a Drug Price Reference Index in the Philippines

Authors: Manuel A Haasis, Anna M Guerrero and Marinette J Ladioray

Using Multiple Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) to make coverage decisions: a methodological framework

Authors: Panos Kanavos and Aris Angelis

Scottish collaboration to integrate medicine therapy between out-patient and in-patient sectors

Authors: Kenneth R Paterson

The impact of Ghana's National Health Insurance Scheme median pharmaceutical pricing methodology and reimbursement policy on the pharmaceutical system

Authors: Dumebi O Mordi, Kwesi Eghan and Jim Rankin

A cost/benefit analysis of self-care initiatives in the European Union: who gains, who loses?

Authors: Anna-Theresa Renner, Julia Bobek, Herwig Ostermann, Peter Schneider and Sabine Vogler

Priority medicines for Europe and the World: setting a public-health-based medicines development agenda

Authors: Veronika J Wirtz

Availability and prices of essential medicines for chronic diseases in older people in the Asia Pacific Region

Authors: Tuan A Nguyen, Sun Qiang, Haipeng Wang, Krishna Undela and Agnes Vitry

Highly innovative drugs in the Czech Republic: retrospective analysis of impact on early market entry, regular reimbursement system entry and public pharmaceutical expenditure

Authors: Anna Lukačišinová and Helena Skácelová

Financial based agreements and performance based agreements: the Belgian experience

Authors: Kim Pauwels, Isabelle Huys, Eveline Bielen, Sigrid Bormans, Robin Vincken, Henna Zheng, Minne Casteels and Steven Simoens