scholarly journals Barriers and facilitators to adherence to national drug policies on antibiotic prescribing and dispensing in Bangladesh

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (S1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Fosiul Alam Nizame ◽  
Dewan Muhammad Shoaib ◽  
Emily K. Rousham ◽  
Salma Akter ◽  
Mohammad Aminul Islam ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Drug Policy ◽  
Group Discussion ◽  
National Policy ◽  
Barriers And Facilitators ◽  
Drug Shop ◽  
Antibiotic Prescribing ◽  
National Drug ◽  
National Drug Policy ◽  
Drug Policies ◽  
The Government

Abstract Background The National Drug Policy in Bangladesh prohibits the sale and distribution of antibiotics without prescription from a registered physician. Compliance with this policy is poor; prescribing antibiotics by unqualified practitioners is common and over-the-counter dispensing widespread. In Bangladesh, unqualified practitioners such as drug shop operators are a major source of healthcare for the poor and disadvantaged. This paper reports on policy awareness among drug shop operators and their customers and identifies current dispensing practices, barriers and facilitators to policy adherence. Methods We conducted a qualitative study in rural and urban Bangladesh from June 2019 to August 2020. This included co-design workshops (n = 4) and in-depth interviews (n = 24) with drug shop operators and customers/household members, key informant interviews (n = 12) with key personnel involved in aspects of the antibiotic supply chain including pharmaceutical company representatives, and model drug shop operators; and a group discussion with stakeholders representing key actors in informal market systems namely: representatives from the government, private sector, not-for-profit sector and membership organizations. Results Barriers to policy compliance among drug shop operators included limited knowledge of government drug policies, or the government-led Bangladesh Pharmacy Model Initiative (BPMI), a national guideline piloted to regulate drug sales. Drug shop operators had no clear knowledge of different antibiotic generations, how and for what diseases antibiotics work contributing to inappropriate antibiotic dispensing. Nonetheless, drug shop operators wanted the right to prescribe antibiotics based on having completed related training. Drug shop customers cited poor healthcare facilities and inadequate numbers of attending physician as a barrier to obtaining prescriptions and they described difficulties differentiating between qualified and unqualified providers. Conclusion Awareness of the National Drug Policy and the BPMI was limited among urban and rural drug shop operators. Poor antibiotic prescribing practice is additionally hampered by a shortage of qualified physicians; cultural and economic barriers to accessing qualified physicians, and poor implementation of regulations. Increasing qualified physician access and increasing training and certification of drug shop operators could improve the alignment of practices with national policy.

scholarly journals A Study on the National Drug Policies of Bangladesh to Ensure Health for All

2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 41-48
Author(s):  
Md Aknur Rahman ◽  
Md Riaz Hossain ◽  
Md Aslam Hossain ◽  
Md Shah Amran
Keyword(s):  
Drug Policy ◽  
World Health ◽  
Expert Committee ◽  
Public Servants ◽  
National Drug ◽  
National Drug Policy ◽  
The World ◽  
Drug Policies ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Almost All

Bangladesh approved the proposal for a National Drug Policy on May 29, 1982. We know that such drug policies are developed gradually over a period of time and may contain a lot of comprehensive documents. But in Bangladesh, the expert committee worked out the policy, based on 16 standards within 15 days. This vital document, almost unchanged, was made a law on 12 June 1982. A few years later, it can be observed that despite opposition from many concerns, the output of essential drugs has increased from about 30 to about 80 percent, prices have in almost all cases gone down considerably, the domestic industry has grown rapidly, the quality of its production has increased dramatically, and people’s awareness about quality medicines has been steadily growing. The World Health Organization (WHO) has stressed the need of a formulated drug policy in every country of the world in 1986. Bangladesh responded very early to this respect. Subsequently, two more national drug policies were promulgated in 2005 and 2016 respectively. Experience over the decades has shown that the said policies could not fulfill the declared objective of ensuring health for all. Our aim is to describe some of the lacunae for which total implementation of drug policy is still struggling. To find the root causes, a total of five hundred volunteers were surveyed by supplying a questionnaire on drug policy. It was observed that most of the participants opined that the incumbent government needs to be more stringent to implement the drug policy into reality by utilizing the public servants and public sectors, especially health personnel to ensure health for all. Dhaka Univ. J. Pharm. Sci. 20(1): 41-48, 2021 (June)

scholarly journals Perfil dos Usuários de Medicamentos das Unidades Básicas de Saúde de Ceres-GO.

2013 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
SOUZA NETO M.A ◽  
TRINDADE N.R ◽  
TAVARES V.R. ◽  
Danilo Silva Andrade ◽  
Lucas Rodrigues Melo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pharmaceutical Care ◽  
Drug Policy ◽  
Drug Users ◽  
National Policy ◽  
Basic Health ◽  
National Drug ◽  
National Drug Policy ◽  
Microsoft Office ◽  
The City ◽  
Basic Health Units

Foram aplicados 321 questionários aos usuários de medicamentos nas seis unidades básicas de saúde da cidade de Ceres – GO.  Os dados foram analisados estatisticamente pelo software EPI INFO 3.5.2 e Microsoft Office Excel® 2007. O perfil dos entrevistados demonstra que a população estudada é carente de informações quanto ao uso correto de medicamentos, sendo a ausência do farmacêutico uma das principais causas deste problema. Portanto esta pesquisa fornece subsídios importantes para o estabelecimento de estratégias específicas e políticas públicas como a Política Nacional de Medicamentos e a Política Nacional de Assistência Farmacêutica, visando à melhoria da saúde da população. Abstract 321 questionnaires were applied to drug users in the six basic health units in the city of Ceres - GO. Data were statistically analyzed by using EPI INFO 3.5.2 and Microsoft Office Excel ® 2007. The profile of respondents shows that the population is deprived of information concerning the correct use of medicines, and the absence of the pharmacist a major cause of this problem. Therefore this research provides important support for the establishment of specific strategies and policies such as the National Drug Policy and the National Policy for Pharmaceutical Care, aiming to improve the population's health.

scholarly journals Regulatory inspection of registered private drug shops in East-Central Uganda—what it is versus what it should be: a qualitative study

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Arthur Bagonza ◽  
Stefan Peterson ◽  
Andreas Mårtensson ◽  
Henry Wamani ◽  
Phyllis Awor ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
New Technologies ◽  
Central Government ◽  
Current Method ◽  
Nursing Assistants ◽  
Drug Shop ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
Drug Shops ◽  
National Drug ◽  
The Government ◽  
Drug Sellers

Abstract Background Regulatory inspection of private drug shops in Uganda is a mandate of the Ministry of Health carried out by the National Drug Authority. This study evaluated how this mandate is being carried out at national, district, and drug shop levels. Specifically, perspectives on how the inspection is done, who does it, and challenges faced were sought from inspectors and drug sellers. Methods Six key informant interviews (KIIs) were held with inspectors at the national and district level, while eight focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted among nursing assistants, and two FGDs were held with nurses. The study appraised current methods of inspecting drug sellers against national professional guidelines for licensing and renewal of class C drug shops in Uganda. Transcripts were managed using Atlas ti version 7 (ATLAS.ti GmbH, Berlin) data management software where the thematic content analysis was done. Results Five themes emerged from the study: authoritarian inspection, delegated inspection, licensing, training, and bribes. Under authoritarian inspection, drug sellers decried the high handedness used by inspectors when found with expired or no license at all. For delegated inspection, drug sellers said that sometimes, inspectors send health assistants and sub-county chiefs for inspection visits. This cadre of people is not recognized by law as inspectors. Inspectors trained drug sellers on how to organize their drug shops better and how to use new technologies such as rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) in diagnosing malaria. Bribes were talked about mostly by nursing assistants who purported that inspectors were not interested in inspection per se but collecting illicit payments from them. Inspectors said that the facilitation they received from the central government were inadequate for a routine inspection. Conclusion The current method of inspecting drug sellers is harsh and instills fear among drug sellers. There is a need to establish a well-recognized structure of inspection as well as establish channels of dialogue between inspectors and drug sellers if meaningful compliance is to be achieved. The government also needs to enhance both human and financial resources if meaningful inspection of drug sellers is to take place.

The Global Drug Policy Index: tracking national drug policies

The Lancet ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 398 (10313) ◽  
pp. 1788-1789
Author(s):  
Jacqui Thornton
Keyword(s):  
Drug Policy ◽  
Index Tracking ◽  
National Drug ◽  
Drug Policies

The Evaluation and Control of Drugs in Norway

1986 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 663-671 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bjørn Jøldal
Keyword(s):  
Drug Policy ◽  
Health Care Policy ◽  
Drug Distribution ◽  
Medical Care System ◽  
International Policies ◽  
National Drug ◽  
Drug Policies ◽  
Comprehensive Health ◽  
Health Situation ◽  
And Control

The basic aim of a drug policy is to ensure that effective and safe drugs of good quality are available to cover the health needs of a country. A national drug policy should be considered an integral part of any comprehensive health-care policy. The formulation of national drug policies varies even between similar countries because of conflicting interests and different political, economic, and social pressures. It is influenced by such factors as:the health situation of the country;the medical care system;the education and training of health personnel;the social security and health-insurance schemes;drug research and development possibilities;the domestic production of drugs;the determination of the demand for drugs;the system of drug distribution;the possibilities for evaluation and control of drugs; andinternational policies on medicinal products.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document