Evolution in Drug Access

Author(s):  
Joia S. Mukherjee

Treatment and curative medical care often require medication. This chapter focuses on the provision of medications in impoverished settings and the challenges that inhibit access to life-saving drugs. It will review the failure of the for-profit market to increase drug access for the poor. The evolving concept of essential drugs will be explored by reviewing the history the WHO Essential Medicines List (EML) and the fight to expand the list to include new, and often patented medicines. The international treaties and policies that impact drug availability will be highlighted as will novel systems for drug development and distribution. Finally, the chapter will highlight the growing movement to decrease costs, increase supply, and advance development of drugs for neglected diseases affecting impoverished people.

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-24
Author(s):  
DUNCAN MCDUIE-RA

Abstract This article focuses on cross-border medical connections between Myanmar and Manipur, India. Non-state actors have been instrumental in creating the networks to bring bodies and body parts back and forth, first bypassing, then enmeshing, state actors. I focus on the movement of patients and medical samples across the border—from western Myanmar to Imphal city and back again—and the health infrastructure that enables it. Analysing these connections makes several contributions to the study of border governance. First, movement from Myanmar to Manipur is primarily for treatment or diagnosis, and these connections project particular ways of thinking about each place—western Myanmar as poor and remote, Manipur as advanced and networked. Second, both Manipur and western Myanmar can be considered in ‘transition’—as territories being recalibrated by political dynamics emanating elsewhere yet becoming connected through shared needs. Third, patients and samples move through territories controlled by paramilitary forces, underground groups, and different tribal councils. Routes are sometimes blocked or passage treacherous, testing the limits of conventional notions of bilateral border governance. Finally, cross-border medical connections between Manipur and Myanmar draw attention to the risky cross-border medical mobility of the poor. Rather than seeking to minimize cost, patients utilize Manipur's health infrastructure out of necessity, providing insights into the contours of cross-border medical care in times of transition.


1986 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 55-73 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven Kelman

One of the most common policy-related messages that economists present to non-economists is the superiority of cash over in-kind transfers as a policy tool. A good deal of government policy on behalf of the poor consists, of course, of various forms of in-kind assistance, such as medical care or food stamps. However, if we wish to help the poor, the argument goes, in-kind transfers are an inferior way to do so.


Author(s):  
Noor Zaidan ◽  
J. Patrik Hornak ◽  
David Reynoso

Extremely drug resistant (XDR) Acinetobacter baumannii cause challenging nosocomial infections. We report the case of a patient with XDR A. baumannii pneumonia and septic shock successfully treated with cefiderocol and a novel antibiotic obtained via expanded access protocol. With focused research and drug development efforts, the poor outcomes associated with these infections may be mitigated.


PEDIATRICS ◽  
1995 ◽  
Vol 95 (4) ◽  
pp. 597-597
Author(s):  
J. F. L.

Profit margins at most hospitals across the country declined or stagnated last year, reflecting growing pressure on them to reduce costs. And health care executives said many hospitals would be under even greater pressure in 1995 if Congress enacted proposals that would slash spending for medical care for the elderly and the poor. At investor-owned hospitals, the outlook is brighter, because many of them have moved aggressively to merge and cut costs. Profit at these hospitals has risen in the 1990s.


2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  

Since the Covid 19 broke out, people are all looking for the cure. Many people died from this fat al disease; and cytokine storm is one of the most dangerous complications. For some low-income people, they are not eligible to be tested for Covid; and they might not get the proper medical care. In these cases, self-care procedures, such as exercise, clear the airway, handwashing, wearing mask, taking meds on time, and proper diet become crucial in deciding the prognoses. This research is about a case study of a patient who is not eligible for a Covid 19 lab test; and how she dealt with a severe flu-like disease.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Omkar Palsule-Desai ◽  
Vikrant Vaze ◽  
Gang Li ◽  
Srinagesh Gavirneni

The postpandemic world requires a renewed focus from service providers on ensuring that all customer segments receive the essential services (food, healthcare, housing, education, etc.) that they need. Philanthropic service providers are unable to cope with the increased demand caused by the social, economic, and operational challenges induced by the pandemic. For-profit service providers offering no-pay services to customers, allowing them to self-select a service option, is becoming a popular strategy in various settings. Obtaining insights into how to efficiently balance societal and financial goals is critical for a for-profit service provider. We develop and analyze a quantitative model of customer utilities, vertically differentiated product assortment, pricing, and market size to understand how service providers can effectively use customer segmentation and serve the poor in the lowest economic strata. We identify conditions under which designing the service delivery to be accessible to the poor can simultaneously benefit the for-profit service provider, customers, and the entire society. Interestingly, we observe that the increasing customer valuation of the no-pay option because of a superior quality service offered by a service provider need not benefit customers. Our work provides a framework to obtain operational, economic, and strategic insights into socially responsible service delivery strategies.


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