E-DRUG: New article: Difference in availability of acute & chronic medicines in WHO/HAI survey
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
E-Druggers
The Bulletin of WHO has just published online an article by Alexandra Cameron and others who investigated differences in the availability of 30 commonly-used medicines for acute and chronic conditions, using data from 50 WHO/HAI price and availability surveys conducted in 40 low and middle-income countries. The availability of medicines for both acute and chronic conditions was suboptimal across countries, particularly in the public sector. Generics for chronic diseases were significantly less available than those for acute conditions in both the public (36% vs. 53.5%) and the private sector (54.7% vs. 66.2%). Antiasthmatics, antiepileptics and antidepressants, followed by antihypertensives, were the drivers of these differences. The authors concluded that measures are needed to better respond to the epidemiological transition towards chronic diseases in developing countries.
The URL for the article is:
http://www.who.int/entity/bulletin/online_first/10-084327.pdf
What information is available in your country about differences in availability of acute and chronic medicines?
If you cannot download the paper please contact me and I will send you the pdf. A print version will appear later in the year in the Bulletin of WHO.
Richard Laing (Coordinator)
Medicine Information and Evidence for Policy,
Department of Essential Medicines and Pharmaceutical Policies
World Health Organization
CH-1211 Geneva 27, Switzerland
Tel 41 22 791 4533
Fax 41 22791 4167
E-mail laingr@who.int