E-DRUG: Dispensing drugs at petrol stations? (6)
------------------------------------------------
dear E-druggers
The difference in criteria where pharmacies are sited in the developed
and developing world has only been mentioned in passing in the
discussion but has important implications.
In most developed countries, permission to open a pharmacy depends on
the existing pharmacies in the area; there is probably a rough
pharmacy/population ratio and the Professional Councils (Family
Practitioner Committees in the UK?) ensure the ratio is maintained and
also do not allow pharmacies to be sited close to each other. The
assumption is probably of a somwhat inelastic demand for the products
and services (i.e prescription drugs) and having more pharmacies than
necessary, migh mean a deterioration in service and unhealthy
professional competition. Medicine prices after all are regulated which
does not leave room for special offers ("Todays special - a weeks supply
of generic diazepam with your antibiotic prescription").
In the developing world, the most important criteria seems to be the
business licence (and the fee) to the local authority. Whether other
pharmacies exist in the area does not appear to be considered.
Clustering of pharmacies around hospitals is an all too common feature
in cities of the developing world. Would the developed country model be
applicable to developing countries? Maybe in parts and not the whole.
The developed country model is based on strict regulation of dispensing,
regulated prices and a dispensing fee added to the price; developing
countries lack most of these. Therefore a single pharmacy in an area
might mean high prices due to lack of competition; however do patients
shop around and compare prices or simply buy at the first pharmacy?
Because of regulation, pharmacies in a city in the developed world have
an all night service in rotation. No such scheme appears to exist in the
developing world; such a scheme maybe one part of the regulation that
can be implemented.
The criteria for licensing pharmacies in the developed world have a
stronger element of health, health care and the pharmcacists being
supported, than in the developing world.
regards
Krisantha Weerasuriya
Essential Drugs and Medicines Policy (EDM)
WHO South-East Asia Regional Office (SEARO),
World Health House, New Delhi, 110 002, India
weerasuriyak@whosea.org
DISCLAIMER
The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily
reflect the position of the Instituion.
--
To send a message to E-Drug, write to: e-drug@healthnet.org
To subscribe or unsubscribe, write to: majordomo@healthnet.org
in the body of the message type: subscribe e-drug OR unsubscribe e-drug
To contact a person, send a message to: e-drug-help@healthnet.org
Information and archives: http://www.essentialdrugs.org/edrug