PHA-Exch> Essential medicines out of reach for most people

[Claudio Schuftan]

From: Martin Auton Martin at haiweb.org


High medicine prices and poor availability So much evidence but where is the
action?

Press release, Health Action International Global, 1 December 2008

Millions of people in low- and middle-income countries cannot afford or
obtain the medicines they need. These are the sobering findings of an
analysis by Alexandra Cameron and others published in today's Lancet.

"This analysis provides firm evidence of the dismal situation people with
illnesses face every day" said Margaret Ewen, HAI's coordinator of the
WHO/HAI Project on Medicine Prices and Availability. "It's shocking that
many important medicines are so hard to find in government outlets, and so
expensive in private pharmacies. How are
people expected to pay days or, in some cases, weeks of their salary each
month to buy the treatments they need?"
The analysis is based on findings from 45 surveys carried out since 2001 in
36 countries using a standardised methodology developed by HAI and WHO.
Across the surveys, public sector availability of generics averaged a
disappointing 38%. Even in the private sector, the availability of generics
was far from ideal.

Where patients have to pay for medicines in the public sector even generics
can be high priced. In the private sector, the price of originator brands
and generics is often substantially higher making many treatments,
particularly those for chronic diseases, simply unaffordable. In Africa, for
example, a low-paid worker has to pay between two days' to eight days' wages
each month to buy glibenclamide to treat diabetes.

Across the surveys, in the private sector originator brands cost 260% more
than lowest priced generic equivalents – increasing to 1000% or more in some
countries. Implementing policies that increase the use of low-priced quality
generics would help significantly. Policies to ensure competition,
incentives for pharmacies to dispense
low-priced generics, and education programmes for the public as well as
health professionals to address misconceptions about generics are crucial.

Governments could also ease the burden on patients by procuring medicines
efficiently, passing on low procurement prices to patients, and ensuring the
availability of essential medicines in all public sector outlets. There are
many other factors that influence the price people pay for medicines.
Countries need to review all policies and practices that affect medicine
prices and availability.

"We now have evidence" said Margaret Ewen "what we need is government
action".

The full article is availbale at
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-
6736(08)61762-6/fulltext#article_upsell

The article is also available on the HAI Medicine Prices website
http://www.haiweb.org/medicineprices

For more information, please contact Margaret Ewen, Coordinator Global
Projects (Pricing), HAI Global at marg at haiweb.org

The WHO/HAI survey methodology measures medicine prices, availability,
affordability and price components in the supply chain. To date, more than
50 surveys have been conducted by investigators around the world. All of the
survey results and related information are available on the HAI website:
www.haiweb.org/medicineprices

[A WHO press release can be viewed at:
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2008/pr45/en/index.html]
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