scholarly journals Exploring Accessibility of Community Pharmacy Services

2015 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah E. Kelling

Objective: To use selected literature to describe strengths and opportunities for improvement related to accessibility of health services in the community pharmacy setting. Summary: Pharmacists have been described as one of the most accessible health care professionals, particularly as nearly 90% of Americans live within 5 miles of a community pharmacy. However, geography alone does not provide access to health services. Individuals must be able to gain entry into the health care system, access a health care location where needed services are provided, and find a health care provider with whom the patient can communicate and trust. Current and potential opportunities for community pharmacists to increase access via each step are described. Conclusion: Community pharmacists are highly accessible health care professionals who are trusted by patients. Opportunities exist to further increase access to dispensing and non-dispensing services in order to better meet the needs of the public.   Type: Commentary

2012 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 41-54 ◽  
Author(s):  
Krzysztof Landa ◽  
Karolina Skóra

Restrictions to health services in Poland have been an inspiration to establish Watch Health Care Foundation (WHC). The fundamental disease of the system is namely the disproportion between the amount of the funds and the contents of the package. It causes everywhere the same ’symptoms’ and leads to the same pathological phenomena: queues and other forms of rationing (’guaranteed’) health benefits, corruption, making use of privileges. Foundation uses the potential of information society and available infrastructure (web portal http://www.watchealthcare.eu) and all activities are presented on the website with the aim of influencing the health care system. On the basis of reports of limited access to health services, a ranking is created at WHC web portal, which aims to show what the biggest gaps in access to health services are - this is the way of showing the patient and health care system needs and also one possible approach of continuous education of the health care services consumers targeted at health care systems improvement.


2015 ◽  
Vol 49 (4) ◽  
pp. 0589-0595 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana Carla Borghi ◽  
Angela Maria Alvarez ◽  
Sonia Silva Marcon ◽  
Lígia Carreira

OBJECTIVEDescribing how Kaingang seniors and their primary caregivers experience access to public health services.METHODA qualitative study guided by ethnography, conducted with 28 elderly and 19 caregivers. Data were collected between November 2010 and February 2013 through interviews and participative observation analyzed by ethnography.RESULTSThe study revealed the benefits and difficulties of the elderly access to health services, the facility to obtain health care resources such as appointments, medications and routine procedures, and the difficulties such as special assistance service problems and delays in the dispatching process between reference services.CONCLUSIONThe importance of knowing and understanding the cultural specificities of the group in order to offer greater opportunities for the elderly access to health services was reinforced.


2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (41) ◽  
pp. 372-377
Author(s):  
Shiva Raj Adhikari ◽  
Diksha Sapkota ◽  
Arjun Thapa ◽  
Achyut Raj Pandey

Background: Access to high quality medicines is often considered as one of the main obstacle in achieving health for all. With the objective of increasing access to health services of poor segment of population, government of Nepal has implemented free health care program. However, there is strong need for evaluating the performance and coverage of free health Care scheme. In this context, this study aims to provide better understanding on the implementation status of free health care scheme in context of Nepal.Methods: It is a qualitative study conducted in 7 districts of Nepal. Total of 14 focused group discussion were conducted among service providers and service users. All the discussions were carried in neutral and natural setting making sure that each of participants feels free to express their opinion. Focused group discussions were transcribed, translated into English, coded and analyzed manually.Results: Participants shared that free health care has contributed positively in making essential health services reachable, affordable and accessible to all specially benefiting poor segment of population. However, multitude of factors like geographical access, perception of community people towards health services, availability of medicines, laboratory services and human resources come into play determining the utilization of health services. Service providers recommended that there need to be improvements in procurement and supply system for uninterrupted supply of services.Conclusions: Despite having some problems in availability of medicines, human resource and diagnostic services, free health care has improved access to health services specially for poor population. Decentralizing the procurement process can be one promising option to overcome the inappropriate supply of medicines.Keywords: Access to medicine; financial risk; free health care; Nepal; poor.


Author(s):  
Christian Whalen

AbstractArticle 24 reflects the perspective of the drafters that the right to health cannot be understood in narrow bio-medical terms or limited to the delivery of health services. Rather, in its reference, for example, to food, water, sanitation, and environmental dangers, it recognises the wider social and economic factors that influence and impact on the child’s state of health. Thus, the text of Article 24 sets out: a broad right to health for all children combined with a right of access to health services a priority focus on measures to address infant and child mortality, the provision of primary health care, nutritious food and clean drinking water, pre-natal and post-natal care, and preventive health care, including family planning the need for effective measures to abolish traditional practices harmful to children’s health a specific obligation on States Parties to cooperate internationally towards the realisation of the child’s right to health everywhere, having particular regard to the needs of developing countries. The right to health is a prime example of the interelatedness of child rights as it is contingent upon and informed by the realization of so many other rights guaranteed to children under the convention. This chapter analyses the child’s right to health in relation to four essential attributes. The first attribute of the child’s right to the highest attainable standard of health emphasizes what an exacting standard this human rights norm contains. Taking a social determinants of health perspective the right entails not just access to health services but programmatic supports in sanitation, transportation, education and other fields to guarantee the enjoyment of health. The second attribute focuses on the Basic minimum criteria of the right to health as reflected in Article 24(2). A third attribute is the insistence upon child health accountability mechanisms using the Availability, Accessibility, Acceptability and Quality Accountability Framework. Finally, given the wide discrepancies in enjoyment of children’s right to health across the globe, a fourth attribute focuses upon international cooperation to ensure equal access to the right to health.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maija Santalahti ◽  
Kumar Sumit ◽  
Mikko Perkiö

Abstract Background: This study examined access to health care in an occupational context in an urban city of India. Many people migrate from rural areas to cities, often across Indian states, for employment prospects. The purpose of the study is to explore the barriers to accessing health care among a vulnerable group – internal migrants working in the construction sector in Manipal, Karnataka. Understanding the lay workers’ accounts of access to health services can help to comprehend the diversity of factors that hinder access to health care. Methods: Individual semi-structured interviews involving 15 migrant construction workers were conducted. The study applied theory-guided content analysis to investigate access to health services among the construction workers. The adductive analysis combined deductive and inductive approaches with the aim of verifying the existing barrier theory in a vulnerable context and further developing the health care access barrier theory. Results: This study’s result is a revised version of the health care access barriers model, including the dimension of trust. Three known health care access barriers – financial, cognitive and structural, as well as the new barrier (distrust in public health care services), were identified among migrant construction workers in a city context in Karnataka, India. Conclusions: Further qualitative research on vulnerable groups would produce a more comprehensive account of access to health care. The socioeconomic status behind access to health care, as well as distrust in public health services, forms focal challenges for any policymaker hoping to improve health services to match people’s needs.


Author(s):  
Grazielle de Oliveira Loduvico ◽  
Maria Marjorie Lima Martins ◽  
Thaís Izabel Ugeda Rocha ◽  
Maria Fernanda Terra ◽  
Pamela Lamarca Pigozi

Introdução: O racismo institucional se caracteriza por qualquer ação de discriminação racial praticada dentro de instituições, como a omissão de informação ou atendimento, fortalecimento de estereótipos racistas, comportamentos de desconfiança, de desrespeito e desvalorização da pessoa negra. Objetivo: Analisar a prática de racismo institucional no serviço de saúde público e/ou privado a partir da percepção dos usuários negros acerca do atendimento recebido. Material e Método: Estudo de abordagem quantitativa,realizado a partir de questionário fechado, construído via google forms, e veiculado na rede social Facebook. A coleta de dados ocorreu entre setembro e novembro de 2019, sob os critérios: ser negro, idade superior a18 anos e vivência de racismo nos serviços de saúde público e/ou privado. Participaram33 pessoas neste estudo: 28 pessoas se autodeclararam pretas e 5 pardas. Resultados: Dentre os principais achados, estão que 63,6% referiram ter sofrido racismo em serviços públicos de saúde; 51,5% relataram que a discriminação ocorreu no consultório médico, e 21,9% durante a triagemou na sala de medicação. Do total, 93,9% acreditam que a discriminação foi ocasionada por serem negros. Conclusão: Os usuários identificam o racismo durante a assistência em saúde recebida, e que a violência pode distanciá-los dos cuidados, principalmente de promoção e prevenção. Faz-se necessário efetivar a assistência em saúde à luz da Política Nacional de Saúde da População Negra. Palavras chave: Percepção, Discriminação, Iniquidade em saúde, Racismo, Acesso aos serviços de saúde ABSTRACTIntroduction: Institutional racism is characterized by any action of racial discrimination practiced within institutions, such as information or care omission, strengthening of racist stereotypes, behaviors of distrust, disrespect and devaluation of the black person. Objective: To analyze the practice ofinstitutional racism in the public and/or private health service from the perception of black users about the care received. Material and Method: Quantitative approach study, conducted from a closed questionnaire, built via google forms, and carried on the social network Facebook. Data collectionoccurred between September and November 2019, under the criteria: being black, aged over 18 years and experiencing racism in public and/or private health services. Thirty-three people participated in this study: 28 people declared themselves black and 5 brown. Results: Among the main findingsare that 63.6% reported having suffered racism in public health services; 51.5% reported that discrimination occurred in the doctor’s office, and 21.9% during screening or in the medication room. Of the total, 93.9% believe that discrimination was started because they were black. Conclusion:Users identify racism when receiving health care, and that violence can distance them from care, especially promotion and prevention. It is necessary to affect health care in the light of the National Health Policy of the Black Population.Keywords: Perception, Discrimination, Health inequities,Racism, Access to health services


2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Maria Gabriela Silva Guimarães ◽  
Athos Muniz Braña ◽  
Humberto Oliart-Guzmán ◽  
Fernando Luiz Cunha Castelo Branco ◽  
Breno Matos Delfino ◽  
...  

Introduction. Children under 5 years of age are more susceptible to developing morbidities such as diarrhea, respiratory infections, anemia, and malnutrition. The objective of the study is to evaluate the prevalence of reported morbidities in this age group in the city of Iñapari (Peru) and the access to health services in this municipality.Methods. Data collection using interviews that assessed socioeconomic and demographic conditions, child morbidity, and access to health services was performed in 2011. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 13.0.Results. Regarding morbidities that occurred during lifetime, 39.8% reported previous anemia and intestinal parasite infection. About 53.7% of the children reported any type of morbidities in the last 15 days before interview, being most frequent respiratory symptoms (38.9%), diarrhea (23,4%), and fever (23,1%). Only 63.1% of those reporting recent morbidities sought health care. These morbidities were associated with precarious sanitation and lack of infrastructure, the presence of other comorbidities, and poor access to health services.Conclusion. The main referred morbidities in Amazonian Peruvian children were diarrhea, respiratory symptoms, anemia, and vomiting. Incentives and improvements in the health and sanitation conditions would be important measures to improve the quality of life of the Amazonian child population.


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