Department of Pharmacy, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Wollo University, PO box 1184, Dessie, Ethiopia.
Quantification and Market Shaping Coordinator, Ethiopian Pharmaceuticals Supply Service, Dessie, Ethiopia.
BMC Health Serv Res. 2024 Nov 19;24(1):1434. doi: 10.1186/s12913-024-11935-8.
Diabetes mellitus and thyroid dysfunction are prevalent endocrine disorders that impose enormous burdens on patients and countries. However, access to essential medicines remains inadequate in many low-income countries. This study evaluated medications' availability, price, and affordability for these conditions.
A cross-sectional study was conducted at health facilities in the South Wollo zone in 2022. Following World Health Organization (WHO)/Health Action International (HAI) guidelines, 34 medicines were evaluated across 60 medicine outlets. Data were collected using a standardized tool adapted from WHO/HAI. Availability was measured by the percentage of facilities where the medicines were in stock. Prices were reported as median prices and median price ratios (MPR). Affordability was assessed based on the number of days' wages required for the lowest-paid government workers to cover the full course of therapy.
The availability of lowest-priced generic (LPG) diabetes and thyroid dysfunction medicines in the public sector was 24.4% and 28.7%, respectively. In private pharmacies, availability was 26.3% for diabetes and 21% for thyroid dysfunction medicines. Median prices for LPG medicines were higher in private pharmacies than in public health facilities, with 81.81% showing a statistically significant difference (p < 0.05). In private pharmacies, the prices of LPG diabetes (5, 71.43%) and thyroid dysfunction medicines (5, 83.33%) exceeded the reference price. None of the LPG diabetes and thyroid dysfunction medicines were affordable in either setting.
The study revealed a very low availability of medicines and a financial burden on patients. Therefore, the government should improve the availability of these essential medicines and regulate their prices.
糖尿病和甲状腺功能障碍是常见的内分泌疾病，给患者和国家带来了巨大的负担。然而，在许多低收入国家，基本药物的可及性仍然不足。本研究评估了这些疾病的药物可及性、价格和可负担性。
2022 年在南沃洛州的卫生机构进行了一项横断面研究。按照世界卫生组织（世卫组织）/国际健康行动（HAI）的指南，在 60 个药品销售点评估了 34 种药品。使用世卫组织/HAI 制定的标准化工具收集数据。可及性通过库存药品的医疗机构比例来衡量。价格以中位数价格和中位数价格比（MPR）报告。根据最低工资政府工作人员需要多少天的工资来支付整个疗程的费用来评估可负担性。
公共部门最廉价通用（LPG）糖尿病和甲状腺功能障碍药物的可得性分别为 24.4%和 28.7%。在私人药店，糖尿病的可得性为 26.3%，甲状腺功能障碍药物的可得性为 21%。私人药店 LPG 药品的中位数价格高于公共卫生机构，有 81.81%的药品存在统计学显著差异（p<0.05）。在私人药店，LPG 糖尿病（5，71.43%）和甲状腺功能障碍药物（5，83.33%）的价格超过了参考价格。在两种情况下，都没有 LPG 糖尿病和甲状腺功能障碍药物是负担得起的。
研究表明，药物的可获得性非常低，患者的经济负担沉重。因此，政府应改善这些基本药物的可获得性并规范其价格。
