Mainul Haque1, Santosh Kumar2, Jaykaran Charan3, Rohan Bhatt4, Salequl Islam5, Siddhartha Dutta2, Jha Pallavi Abhayanand2, Yesh Sharma6, Israel Sefah7,8, Amanj Kurdi9,10, Janney Wale11, Brian Godman9,12,13,14. 1. Unit of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine and Defence Health, Universiti Pertahanan Nasional Malaysia (National Defence University of Malaysia), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. 2. Department of Periodontology and Implantology, Karnavati University, Gandhinagar, India. 3. Department of Pharmacology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Jodhpur, India. 4. Department of Pediatric Dentistry, Karnavati University, Gandhinagar, India. 5. Department of Microbiology, Jahangirnagar University, Savar, Bangladesh. 6. Department of Conservative Dentistry and Endodontics, Rajasthan University of Health Sciences, Jaipur, India. 7. Pharmacy Department, Ghana Health Service, Keta Municipal Hospital, Keta-Dzelukope, Ghana. 8. Pharmacy Practice Department, School of Pharmacy, University of Health and Allied Sciences, Volta Region, Ghana. 9. Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, United Kingdom. 10. Department of Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, Hawler Medical University, Erbil, Iraq. 11. Independent Consumer Advocate, Brunswick, VIC, Australia. 12. Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Karolinska Institute, Karolinska University Hospital Huddinge, Stockholm, Sweden. 13. School of Pharmacy, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, Ga-Rankuwa, South Africa. 14. School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang, Malaysia.
Abstract
Background: COVID-19 has already claimed a considerable number of lives worldwide. However, there are concerns with treatment recommendations given the extent of conflicting results with suggested treatments and misinformation, some of which has resulted in increased prices and shortages alongside increasing use and prices of personal protective equipment (PPE). This is a concern in countries such as India where there have been high patient co-payments and an appreciable number of families going into poverty when members become ill. However, balanced against pricing controls. Community pharmacists play a significant role in disease management in India, and this will remain. Consequently, there is a need to review prices and availability of pertinent medicines during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic in India to provide future direction. Objective: Assess current utilisation and price changes as well as shortages of pertinent medicines and equipment during the early stages of the pandemic. Our Approach: Multiple approach involving a review of treatments and ongoing activities across India to reduce the spread of the virus alongside questioning pharmacies in selected cities from early March to end May 2020. Our Activities: 111 pharmacies took part, giving a response rate of 80%. Encouragingly, no change in utilisation of antimalarial medicines in 45% of pharmacies despite endorsements and for antibiotics in 57.7% of pharmacies, helped by increasing need for a prescription for dispensing. In addition, increased purchasing of PPE (over 98%). No price increases were seen for antimalarials and antibiotics in 83.8 and 91.9% of pharmacies respectively although shortages were seen for antimalarials in 70.3% of pharmacies, lower for antibiotics (9.9% of pharmacies). However, price increases were typically seen for PPE (over 90% of stores) as well as for analgesics (over 50% of pharmacies). Shortages were also seen for PPE (88.3%). Conclusion: The pandemic has impacted on utilisation and prices of pertinent medicines and PPE in India but moderated by increased scrutiny. Key stakeholder groups can play a role with enhancing evidenced-based approaches and reducing inappropriate purchasing in the future.
Background: COVID-19 has already claimed a considerable number of lives worldwide. However, there are concerns with treatment recommendations given the extent of conflicting results with suggested treatments and misinformation, some of which has resulted in increased prices and shortages alongside increasing use and prices of personal protective equipment (PPE). This is a concern in countries such as India where there have been high patient co-payments and an appreciable number of families going into poverty when members become ill. However, balanced against pricing controls. Community pharmacists play a significant role in disease management in India, and this will remain. Consequently, there is a need to review prices and availability of pertinent medicines during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic in India to provide future direction. Objective: Assess current utilisation and price changes as well as shortages of pertinent medicines and equipment during the early stages of the pandemic. Our Approach: Multiple approach involving a review of treatments and ongoing activities across India to reduce the spread of the virus alongside questioning pharmacies in selected cities from early March to end May 2020. Our Activities: 111 pharmacies took part, giving a response rate of 80%. Encouragingly, no change in utilisation of antimalarial medicines in 45% of pharmacies despite endorsements and for antibiotics in 57.7% of pharmacies, helped by increasing need for a prescription for dispensing. In addition, increased purchasing of PPE (over 98%). No price increases were seen for antimalarials and antibiotics in 83.8 and 91.9% of pharmacies respectively although shortages were seen for antimalarials in 70.3% of pharmacies, lower for antibiotics (9.9% of pharmacies). However, price increases were typically seen for PPE (over 90% of stores) as well as for analgesics (over 50% of pharmacies). Shortages were also seen for PPE (88.3%). Conclusion: The pandemic has impacted on utilisation and prices of pertinent medicines and PPE in India but moderated by increased scrutiny. Key stakeholder groups can play a role with enhancing evidenced-based approaches and reducing inappropriate purchasing in the future.
Authors: Brian Godman; Magdalene Wladysiuk; Stuart McTaggart; Amanj Kurdi; Eleonora Allocati; Mihajlo Jakovljevic; Francis Kalemeera; Iris Hoxha; Anna Nachtnebel; Robert Sauermann; Manfred Hinteregger; Vanda Marković-Peković; Biljana Tubic; Guenka Petrova; Konstantin Tachkov; Juraj Slabý; Radka Nejezchlebova; Iva Selke Krulichová; Ott Laius; Gisbert Selke; Irene Langner; András Harsanyi; András Inotai; Arianit Jakupi; Svens Henkuzens; Kristina Garuolienė; Jolanta Gulbinovič; Patricia Vella Bonanno; Jakub Rutkowski; Skule Ingeberg; Øyvind Melien; Ileana Mardare; Jurij Fürst; Sean MacBride-Stewart; Carol Holmes; Caridad Pontes; Corinne Zara; Marta Turu Pedrola; Mikael Hoffmann; Vasileios Kourafalos; Alice Pisana; Rita Banzi; Stephen Campbell; Bjorn Wettermark Journal: Biomed Res Int Date: 2021-10-11 Impact factor: 3.411
Authors: Yusuf Ari Mashuri; Luh Putu Lila Wulandari; Mishal Khan; Astri Ferdiana; Ari Probandari; Tri Wibawa; Neha Batura; Marco Liverani; Richard Day; Stephen Jan; Gill Schierhout; Djoko Wahyono; John Kaldor; Rebecca Guy; Matthew Law; Shunmay Yeung; Virginia Wiseman Journal: Lancet Reg Health West Pac Date: 2022-03-17
Authors: Ayukafangha Etando; Adefolarin A Amu; Mainul Haque; Natalie Schellack; Amanj Kurdi; Alian A Alrasheedy; Angela Timoney; Julius C Mwita; Godfrey Mutashambara Rwegerera; Okwen Patrick; Loveline Lum Niba; Baffour Boaten Boahen-Boaten; Felicity Besong Tabi; Olufunke Y Amu; Joseph Acolatse; Robert Incoom; Israel Abebrese Sefah; Anastasia Nkatha Guantai; Sylvia Opanga; Ibrahim Chikowe; Felix Khuluza; Dan Kibuule; Francis Kalemeera; Ester Hango; Jennie Lates; Joseph Fadare; Olayinka O Ogunleye; Zikria Saleem; Frasia Oosthuizen; Werner Cordier; Moliehi Matlala; Johanna C Meyer; Gustav Schellack; Amos Massele; Oliver Ombeva Malande; Aubrey Chichonyi Kalungia; James Sichone; Sekelani S Banda; Trust Zaranyika; Stephen Campbell; Brian Godman Journal: Healthcare (Basel) Date: 2021-12-13