Corruption in the Pharmaceutical Sector

Martinez, Martha Gabriela; Köhler, Jillian Clare; McAlister, Heather

doi:10.1108/978-1-78635-445-720161016

Cited by 6 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 33 publications

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“…The items used for the measurement scales in this study were adapted from relevant literature and previous works on transparency, accountability, e-procurement and anti-corruption in the public pharmaceutical procurement system (Adil and Haliah, 2022; Kohler and Dimancesco, 2020; Mackey and Cuomo, 2020; Koller et al ., 2020; Nunes et al ., 2023; Rahman et al ., 2021; Martinez et al ., 2017; Paschke et al ., 2018). To assess face validity, the questionnaire was reviewed by six procurement managers and five pharmacists with adequate knowledge and experience in the public pharmaceutical procurement system.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The public pharmaceutical procurement system often experiences corrupt practices, poor quality services, delays and increased costs of procured medicines and medical supplies (Martinez et al ., 2017; Israel et al ., 2019; Vian, 2020; Saeed et al ., 2022). This is attributed to the lack of accountability and transparency within the system.…”

Section: Literature Review and Hypothesis Developmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Some common forms of corruption in the pharmaceutical procurement system include informal payments made to suppliers to gain favouritism in the bidding process (bribery and kickbacks), collusion amongst bidders to eliminate competition and manipulate the bidding process (rigging and collusion), false recording, alteration and misrepresentation of information (fraud) and embezzlement of the budget allocated for procurement. Other studies by Israel (2021) and Martinez et al (2017) identified conflict of interest, nepotism and favouritism as other forms of corruption in the public pharmaceutical procurement system. The efforts to combat corruption in this context require comprehensive strategies that address the underlying causes and promote transparency, accountability and good governance throughout the procurement process.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

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Promoting transparency and accountability towards anti-corruption in pharmaceutical procurement system: does e-procurement play a significant role?

Mahuwi,

Israel

2024

MANM

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PurposeUnderstanding the interplay between transparency, accountability and e-procurement and their collective contribution to anti-corruption efforts in public procurement is crucial for developing effective strategies and policies. This research seeks to investigate whether e-procurement plays a significant role in enhancing transparency and accountability and subsequently reducing corruption risks in the public pharmaceutical procurement system.Design/methodology/approachThe study employed a cross-sectional questionnaire survey to gather data from 274 procurement personnel and pharmacists working in 28 government-owned hospitals in the Southern Highlands of Tanzania. The collected data were then analysed using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and the Hayes PROCESS macro to test the study hypotheses.FindingsThe study findings revealed a negative and significant relationship between transparency and procurement corruption (ß = −0.117, p < 0.008). Moreover, accountability negatively and significantly affects procurement corruption (ß = −0.162, p = 0.006). Furthermore, the findings indicate that, at a high degree of e-procurement system implementation, transparency and accountability have a stronger impact on procurement anti-corruption measures.Practical implicationsPolicymakers and decision-makers should implement robust mechanisms that enhance transparency, accountability and anti-corruption efforts. These may include providing clear and accessible information on procurement processes, efficient mechanisms for monitoring and reporting procurement irregularities and continuous improvement of e-procurement systems. By incorporating these measures and nurturing collaboration amongst procurement stakeholders, it becomes possible to foster a procurement environment characterised by integrity, fairness, accountability and reduced corruption.Originality/valueWhilst previous studies delved into exploring the effect of transparency and accountability on procurement anti-corruption, the novelty of this study is the inclusion of e-procurement as a moderating variable in the relationship between transparency, accountability and anti-corruption. By so doing, this study adds to the existing body of knowledge regarding anti-corruption measures and offers valuable practical insights for policymakers and professionals aiming to enhance transparency, accountability and ethical conduct within the public pharmaceutical procurement system.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Literature Review and Hypothesis Developmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

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Promoting transparency and accountability towards anti-corruption in pharmaceutical procurement system: does e-procurement play a significant role?

Mahuwi,

Israel

2024

MANM

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“…Following 9/11, Pakistan received a substantial amount of civil and military aid and debt relief from the United States, leading to a brief settlement that emerged from the 2008 general election, heralded by a coalition government made up of the major political parties, the exclusion of the military and religious groups led to instability. 47 Islamist groups exercise a considerable degree of influence amongst communities, particularly in the Pashtun belt in the northwest of the country. They have had a particularly negative impact on immunisation programmes, especially polio.…”

Section: What's Past Is Prologue-1958 To 2021mentioning

confidence: 99%

Pakistan’s Health-Care System: A Case of Elite Capture

Ali

Rais

2021

South Asia: Journal of South Asian Studies

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Pakistan currently ranks 154 out of 189 countries according to the UNDP's Human Development Index. In this paper, we use a 'political settlements analysis' to understand how the distribution of political, economic and social power explains this ranking and the inequity in Pakistan's health system. We investigate elite power struggles over the last seven decades to explain how ad hoc policy-making, instability, patronage politics, and rent-seeking have led to a maldistribution of resources, lack of oversight, and inequitable access and service provision for a burgeoning population. We argue that these factors have had two consequences: the privatisation of healthcare; and the opening up of a considerable sphere of influence to the donor community to direct state policy. Despite promising ongoing reform efforts, we conclude that Pakistan's health system will remain hamstrung by the constraints of a political settlement in which elites with short-term horizons bargain for influence rather than developing an inclusive, consensus-based approach to improving governance outcomes for citizens.

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“…3 4 This is due to various factors including inadequate infrastructure, insufficient funding, currency fluctuations and more system-related factors like poor governance and corruption. [5][6][7][8][9][10] Although various emergency situations and supply contamination have shut down key manufacturing sites in the past, the COVID-19 pandemic was the first sustained shock event to affect all parts of the global pharmaceutical supply chain. 11 12 During the pandemic, countries across the world went into lockdowns,…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Availability of essential, generic medicines before and during COVID-19 at selected public pharmaceutical supply agencies in Ethiopia: a comparative cross-sectional study

Melaku,

Mekonnen,

Terefe Tucho

et al. 2024

BMJ Open

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ObjectivesLockdowns and border closures impacted medicine availability during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to assess the availability of essential, generic medicines for chronic diseases at public pharmaceutical supply agencies in Ethiopia.DesignComparative cross-sectional study.SettingThe availability of essential, generic medicines for chronic diseases was assessed at two public pharmaceutical supply agency hubs.ParticipantsThe current study included public supply agency hub managers, warehouse managers and forecasting officers at the study setting.OutcomesThe assessment encompassed the availability of chronic medicines on the day of data collection, as well as records spanning 8 months before the outbreak and 1 year during the pandemic. A total of 22 medicines were selected based on their inclusion in the national essential drug list for public health facilities, including 17 medicines for cardiovascular disease and 5 for diabetes mellitus.ResultsThe results of the study indicate that the mean availability of the selected basket medicines was 43.3% (95% CI: 37.1 to 49.5) during COVID-19, which was significantly lower than the availability of 67.4% (95% CI: 62.2 to 72.6) before the outbreak (p<0.001). Prior to COVID-19, the overall average line-item fill rate for the selected products was 78%, but it dropped to 49% during the pandemic. Furthermore, the mean number of days out of stock per month was 11.7 (95% CI: 9.9 to 13.5) before the outbreak of COVID-19, which significantly increased to 15.7 (95% CI: 13.2 to 18.2) during the pandemic, indicating a statistically significant difference (p<0.001). Although the prices for some drugs remained relatively stable, there were significant price hikes for some products. For example, the unit price of insulin increased by more than 130%.ConclusionThe COVID-19 pandemic worsened the availability of essential chronic medicines, including higher rates of stockouts and unit price hikes for some products in the study setting. The study’s findings imply that the COVID-19 pandemic has aggravated already-existing medicine availability issues. Efforts should be made to develop contingency plans and establish mechanisms to monitor medicine availability and pricing during such crises.

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Corruption in the Pharmaceutical Sector

Cited by 6 publications

References 33 publications

Promoting transparency and accountability towards anti-corruption in pharmaceutical procurement system: does e-procurement play a significant role?

Promoting transparency and accountability towards anti-corruption in pharmaceutical procurement system: does e-procurement play a significant role?

Pakistan’s Health-Care System: A Case of Elite Capture

Availability of essential, generic medicines before and during COVID-19 at selected public pharmaceutical supply agencies in Ethiopia: a comparative cross-sectional study

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