 |
The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
|
The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
Keith W. Johnson, Drug Management Program, Management Sciences for Health, 1515 Wilson Boulevard, Suite #710, Arlington, VA 22209, 703-248-1600, kjohnson@msh.org
Pharmaceutical products and vaccines have revolutionized health care over the past 50 years. Unfortunately, certain populations have not benefited from these advances as much as other populations have. Although problems relating to pharmaceuticals access are often viewed as being most significant in developing countries, where hundreds of millions of people lack access to even basic essential drugs, developed country populations, including the United States, also have significant problems in relation to pharmaceuticals access and equity. Around the world, millions of adults and children die each year from conditions that could have been treated or prevented if effective and affordable drugs and vaccines had been available and properly used—where and when they were needed.
Access to pharmaceuticals is a multi-dimensional concept. Dimensions include a drug’s availability, affordability, accessibility, and acceptability, with an overarching requirement for quality—of both product and service delivery. Contributing factors that are most prominent in current discussions about lack of drug access in developing countries include: (1) lack of availability of new products to prevent or treat priority diseases, (2) high prices of newer drugs, particularly for AIDS and other infectious diseases, and (3) lack of functional health care and drug management delivery systems that are needed to make drugs available when and where they are needed and to help ensure that they are properly used. A parallel set of contributing factors can be put forth for developed countries: (1) lack of availability of medicines and preparations to prevent or treat disease in certain patient populations (e.g., patients with rare disorders, children), (2) high prices of newer drugs, and (3) inadequacy of programs to help ensure appropriate use. Concerns about drug product quality (including both substandard and counterfeit products) and the quality of service delivery are issues around the world, as are concerns about access to and use of appropriate information that allows for informed decision making.
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: Access to Care, Prescription Drug Use Patterns
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.