E-DRUG: Paper on pharmacoeconomics in Tanzania
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Dear Colleagues,
Amani Thomas Mori and Bjarne Robberstad's paper on pharmacoeconomics in
Tanzania is a great contribution.
In part, it addresses a generally held hypothesis that pharmacoeconomic studies are impossible in Tanzania and comparable countries because no data is available with which to conduct such analyses. Mori et al clearly demonstrate that researchers have overcome data barriers and successfully deploy pharmacoeconomic methods to guide resource allocation decisions.
The lack of data is not entirely the rate limiter but rather the systematic collection and electronic recording of such data - a finding we shared with colleagues in our 2011 Health Policy paper:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.healthpol.2010.11.009
Paper-based records are generally available at the level of health care
purchasers and health facilities and when captured in an electronic
database, various efficiency-related questions can be answered with
pharmacoeconomic methods.
More resources are needed to facilitate this process.
Many thanks,
João
João L. Carapinha
PhD (Law and Public Policy), MM P&DM, BPharm
http://www.linkedin.com/in/joaocarapinha
https://twitter.com/joaocarapinha
joao@carapinha.com