Determinants of patients{u2019} access to primary essential drug list, pharmaceutical stakeholders{u2019} perspective : An economic approach / Raghda Mostafa Mostafa Elsayed ; Supervised Abeer Abdou Barakat , Monira Mahmoud Elkholy , Hoda Ibrahim Rizk

Thesis (Ph.D.) - Cairo University - Faculty of Medicine - Department of Community Medicine

Background: According to the WHO framework for health systems, a well-functioning health system ensures equitable access to essential medical products, vaccines and technologies of assured quality, safety, efficacy and cost-effectiveness, and their scientifically sound and cost-effective use. Essential medicines are those that satisfy the priority health care needs of the population, they are intended to be available within the context of functioning health systems at all times, in adequate amounts, in the appropriate dosage, with assured quality, and at a price that individuals and the community can afford. The aim of the study was to know the determinants of access to essential medicines from variant stakeholders' views in order to improve access to these medicines. Methodology: The study was a health system research study conducted in one urban and one rural primary health care facility (Kafr-Tohormos and Abo- Ragwan respectively). Health system research is involved in investigating political, economic and managerial aspects of health system. It imposes both qualitative and quantitative components. This study uses the approach of stakeholders' analysis. It applies a descriptive cross-sectional design. Results: About one third of patients in both facilities were unable to pay for the medicine, percent of patients who believe that private pharmacies medicine is better than PHC one is significantly higher in rural than urban group (24% & 10% respectively) and percent of medicines dispensed was 50% and 66.7% in rural and urban group respectively

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