ANTI-PAIN MEDICINE AVAILABILITY IN THE WONOASRI DISTRICT PHARMACY, MADIUN REGENCY

Pain is a disease experienced by all people. Analgesics are a class of drugs mostoften used for the treatment of pain. Good planning was needed as a basis for drugmanagement activities to determine drug needs to ensure the availability ofpainkillers. This study aims to provide an availability of analgesic drugs in 3(three) pharmacies in Wonoasri District, Madiun Regency.This research was adescriptive study using a retrospective survey method, which was directed atpresenting information about the availability and use of painkillers through theresearch process. The data were obtained from the Pharmacy in Wonoasri District,Madiun Regency. This research material was in the form of data on drugavailability and data on the use of painkillers for the period July to December2019. The data obtained were then processed using the formula for the number ofdrugs available divided by the number of monthly average usage. The level ofdrug availability was seen in months.Based on the results of the study, it wasfound that the value of the availability of painkillers at the Pharmacy of WonoasriDistrict, Madiun Regency for the period July-December 2019 was the Diclofenacdrug with an availability value of 7.8 months, 9.1 and 13.1 months. While thelowest is Mefenamic Acid Drug. Medicines provided for health services at thepharmacy must match the drug needs and must be at least the same as the stockduring the waiting time for drug arrival

The effects of medicines availability and stock-outs on household’s utilization of healthcare services in Dodoma region, Tanzania

Low- and middle-income countries have been undertaking health finance reforms to address shortages of medicines. However, data are lacking on how medicine availability and stock-outs influence access to health services in Tanzania. The current study assesses the effects of medicine availability and stock-outs on healthcare utilization in Dodoma region, Tanzania. We conducted a cross-sectional study that combined information from households and healthcare facility surveys. A total of 4 hospitals and 89 public primary health facilities were surveyed. The facility surveys included observation, record review over a 3-month period prior to survey date, and interviews with key staff. In addition, 1237 households within the health facility catchment areas were interviewed. Data from the facility survey were linked with data from the household survey. Descriptive analysis and multivariate logistic regressions models were used to assess the effects of medicine availability and stock-outs on utilization patterns and to identify additional household-level factors associated with health service utilization. Eighteen medicines were selected as ‘tracers’ to assess availability more generally, and these were continuously available in ∼70% of the time in facilities across all districts over 3 months of review. The main analysis showed that household’s healthcare utilization was positively and significantly associated with continuous availability of all essential medicines for the surveyed facilities [odds ratio (OR) 3.49, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.02–12.04; P = 0.047]. Healthcare utilization was positively associated with household membership in the community health insurance funds (OR 1.97, 95% CI 1.23–3.17; P = 0.005) and exposure to healthcare education (OR 2.75, 95% CI 1.84–4.08; P = 0.000). These results highlight the importance of medicine availability in promoting access to health services in low-income settings. Effective planning and medicine supply management from national to health facility level is an important component of quality health services.

Variation in Price of Medicines and Free Medicine Availability for Treatment of Non-communicable Diseases in Public Sector of Eastern Nepal

Background: Nepal is witnessing rise in non-communicable chronic diseases. Costs of the medicine, availability of the medicine for free in public health sectors and variation of price of medicines may play an important role in the management of chronic disease. The study was undertaken to find out the variation in price of drugs used for treating non communicable diseases among private pharmacies and availability of free essential medicines in public facilities.Methods: Randomly selected 33 public health centers and 13 pharmacies were included for the study. Availability of free essential medicines for treating selected chronic diseases was assessed in public health centers and percentage price variation in various branded drugs used for treating these diseases was assessed at the consumer level.Results: Out of 89 different formulations, variations between maximum and minimum priced brands of more than 100% were observed in 37 formulations and that of > 200% in 22 formulations. Thirty-seven formulations had more than 100% inter-pharmacy variation. The most commonly available free essential medicines was 4 mg salbutamol (88.57%) while the least available free essential drug was levothyroxine 5 mg (9.0%).Conclusions: Considerable variation in prices is seen among similar drugs and in prices of same drug in different pharmacies. These factors may have implications in the management of chronic disease in Nepal offsetting the government’s effort to control chronic diseases.

Evaluation Medicine Availability Before and After NHI Implementation at Health Centers in Keerom District, Papua Province

The availability of medicine in health center is associated with medicine management system and should be supported by adequate and sustainable resource. The Implementation of National Health Insurance (NHI) program will increase the need for medicine, to describe the medicine availability at primary health center before and after NHI, to identify the factors affect the availability, to compile solutions to increase the medicine availability at health centers in Keerom District. This research method was a descriptive. The data has been gathered based on observations to primary health center’s document of 2012 to 2015, for 35 indicator medicine, and interview with the medicine manager and the chief of health center, the manager of pharmacy district and the chief of health office at Keerom District. The data analysis was presented by charts, tables, and in narrative description. The results were the availability of medicine at the health centers in Keerom District, before and after NHI program was same, by category of supply was safe, but insufficient as health center’s need. The medicine availability was not appropriate with essential medicine list and illness, the expired and defected medicine still be found, and stock out time increased after NHI. In that period, the factors affect were, the demand process has not been optimal, insuffiecient and uneven distribution, lack of personel and inadequate supporting for drug distribution charges the solution proposed were, to improve knowledge and skill for medicine manager of health center, to plan pharmacist requirements, to set up medicine management information system, to do the integrated medicine planning and to provide the enough cost of distribution.