E-DRUG: New report on price, availability and affordability of medicines for chronic diseases
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[Comments on E-drug will be most welcome! KM, moderator]
Dear E-druggers,
On 24 May at the World Health Assembly, Health Action International
(HAI) and WHO launched a report on the price, availability and
affordability of 14 chronic disease medicines for the treatment of
asthma, diabetes, epilepsy, hypertension and psychiatric disorders. The
report is an analysis of data from 30 surveys undertaken in all regions
of the world using the WHO/HAI price measurement methodology.
Key findings include:
- government procurement prices are generally good - but some individual
prices are high, and some governments are purchasing expensive
originator brands as well as cheaper generic equivalents
- availability is often low in the public sector
- availability is generally better in the private sector but prices are
much higher (in some cases over 80 times the reference price)
- treatment is often unaffordable e.g. people having to work 50 days to
pay for 30 days of treatment
- some governments are applying numerous taxes on medicines (e.g. import
taxes, local taxes, VAT)
- mark-ups by pharmacies, dispensing doctors and even some governments
can be excessive
Chronic diseases are a serious health issue, particularly because they
require long-term therapy. Effective medicines are available to treat
these diseases - but they are of no value if people can't afford to
purchase them or they are not available.
The report calls on governments to urgently address issues of high
prices, low availability, poor affordability and control excessive costs
from the manufacturer to the patient.
You can access at
<http://www.haiweb.org/medicineprices/30052006/CHRONICANN.pdf> the full
report (including all summary datasets) or at
<http://www.haiweb.org/medicineprices/30052006/CHRONIC.pdf> a shortened
version (excluding datasets) on HAI's website
http://www.haiweb.org/medicineprices
Alternatively, you can order a print copy of the report, with
accompanying CDRom, from the WHO by emailing edmdoccentre@who.int (free
of charge). The reports and summary datasheets are also available on
http://mednet3.who.int/medprices/
On the HAI web site you will also find information on undertaking a
price survey and you can query the database for all survey data.
Regards
Margaret Ewen
HAI Coordinator of the WHO/HAI Project on Medicine Prices
Health Action International (HAI) Europe
Jacob van Lennepkade 334T
1053 NJ Amsterdam
The Netherlands
Tel: +31 20 489 1846 (direct), +31 20 683 3684 (office)
Fax: +31 20685 5002
Email: marg@haiweb.org
Web site: http://www.haiweb.org
Health Action International (HAI) is an independent, global network
working to increase access to essential medicines and improve their
rational use.