Is there transparency in the pricing of medicines in the South African private sector?

Bangalee, Varsha; Suleman, Fátima

doi:10.7196/samj.2017.v108i2.12815

Cited by 3 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 5 publications

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“…The challenge of unaffordability also bears hugely on access to medicines in Nigeria. Unlike the situation in many countries such as South Africa, where the price of medicines is consistently lower in public pharmacies compared with private pharmacies, the situation in Nigeria is inconsistent [38]. Based on the World Bank report in 2016 that about 53.5% of Nigerians live below the poverty line of less than $1.90 per day and coupled with limited health insurance coverage with about 95% out-ofpocket payments for health care, many patients are likely to face catastrophic costs in accessing and adhering to treatment [11,39,40].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 85%

Nationwide survey of the availability and affordability of asthma and COPD medicines in Nigeria

Ozoh

Eze

Garba

et al. 2020

Tropical Med Int Health

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objective(s) To determine the availability and affordability of asthma and COPD medicines across Nigeria. methods This was a cross-sectional survey conducted in 128 pharmacies (51 in public sector hospitals, 51 private sector community pharmacies and 26 charity or big private hospitals) across the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria using the WHO/Health Action Initiative method. The proportion of pharmacies where medicines were available, the median retail prices of originator and generics and affordability were analysed. A medicine was available if found in ≥ 80% of surveyed pharmacies. Unaffordability was defined as paying> 1 day's wage (> US$1.68) for a standard 30-day supply of the medicine. results The available medicines were oral corticosteroids and oral salbutamol which are not on the WHO Essential Medicine List. Medicines were found more frequently in private than public pharmacies and in the southern than northern zones. Inhalable corticosteroid was not available at any public pharmacy nationwide. None of the EML medicines were affordable. The least number of days' wages for a 30-day supply of any inhalable corticosteroid-containing medication was 3.5 days. conclusions There are very limited availability and affordability of recommended asthma and COPD medicines across Nigeria with disparity across regions. Medicines that were available and affordable are not recommended and are harmful for long-term use. This underpins the need for engagement of all stakeholders for the review of existing policies regarding access to asthma and COPD medicines to improve availability and affordability. keywords medicine, availability, affordability, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, Nigeria Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): SDG 3 (good health and well-being), SDG 17 (partnerships for the goals)

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 85%

Nationwide survey of the availability and affordability of asthma and COPD medicines in Nigeria

Ozoh

Eze

Garba

et al. 2020

Tropical Med Int Health

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“…This transparency initiative helps consumers and the government to identify, compare, and choose medicines that offer the desired value (4). It creates awareness of price discrimination, which leads to informed choices and cost-saving by the users (5)(6)(7)(8)(9). It is likely to save the consumers' out-of-pocket spending by helping them with value-based purchasing and allowing them to exercise their right to price information before purchase (10,11).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Consumers' Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Toward Medicine Price Transparency at Private Healthcare Setting in Malaysia

Ahmad

Hatah

Jalil

et al. 2021

Front. Public Health

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Background: Medicine price transparency refers to the practice of making prices available to consumers for them to identify, compare, and select the medicine that provides the desired value. This study aimed to evaluate consumer knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding Malaysia's medicine price transparency initiative, as well as factors that may influence related good consumer practices in private healthcare settings.Methods: A cross-sectional, self-administered survey was conducted between May and July 2019 among consumers attending private healthcare institutions in Malaysia. The self-developed and validated survey consisted of four sections on the following: respondents' demographics, and 28 close-ended and graded Likert scale answer options on knowledge, attitudes, and practices toward medicine price transparency. Factors influencing good consumer practices toward the transparency initiative were modeled using binary logistic regression.Results: A total of 679 respondents were part of the study. The mean age of respondents was 38 ± 13.3, with the majority (n = 420, 61.9%) being female. The respondents' mean score of knowledge and attitudes toward the price transparency initiative was 5.6 ± 1.5 of the total score of 8 and 31.9 ± 4.0 of the total score of 40, respectively. The respondents had the lowest score in the practice of price transparency, with a mean score of 31.5 ± 5.6 of the total score of 60. Male gender, Chinese ethnicity, high score on knowledge and attitudes, and high expenses on medicines influenced respondents' good practices of medicine price transparency.Conclusion: Respondents had good knowledge and attitudes, but their usage and implementation of the medicine price transparency initiative was still inadequate. A number of factors influence this inadequacy, including gender, race, consumers' out-of-pocket spending on medication, and knowledge of and attitudes toward price transparency practices. Consumer-driven market price control would be impossible to achieve without the good consumer practices of medicine price transparency.

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“…7 However, the introduction of the single exit price has not yielded the desired outcomes of reduced medicine price inflation and medicine price uniformity, thus presenting the need for more research to determine if implemented government policies actually are able to yield the desired outcomes. 8 2212-1099/$36.00 -see front matter ª 2021 Published by Elsevier Inc. on behalf of ISPOR-The professional society for health economics and outcomes research.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Price, Availability, and Affordability of Antineoplastic Medicines in Harare’s Public and Private Institutions: Implication for Access

Mutyavaviri

Mensah

Marume

et al. 2021

Value in Health Regional Issues

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Is there transparency in the pricing of medicines in the South African private sector?

Abstract: Recent investigations by the Competition Commission of South Africa (SA) of suspected excessive pricing of cancer medicines in SA by three global pharmaceutical companies have once again drawn attention to increasing medicine pricing transparency and warrant further public debate.

Cited by 3 publications

References 5 publications

Nationwide survey of the availability and affordability of asthma and COPD medicines in Nigeria

Nationwide survey of the availability and affordability of asthma and COPD medicines in Nigeria

Consumers' Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Toward Medicine Price Transparency at Private Healthcare Setting in Malaysia

Price, Availability, and Affordability of Antineoplastic Medicines in Harare’s Public and Private Institutions: Implication for Access

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