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Postma DJ, Heijkoop MLA, De Smet PAGM, Notenboom K, Leufkens HGM, Mantel-Teeuwisse AK. Identifying Medicine Shortages With the Twitter Social Network: Retrospective Observational Study. J Med Internet Res 2024; 26:e51317. [PMID: 39106483 DOI: 10.2196/51317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2023] [Revised: 05/10/2024] [Accepted: 06/21/2024] [Indexed: 08/09/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Early identification is critical for mitigating the impact of medicine shortages on patients. The internet, specifically social media, is an emerging source of health data. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to explore whether a routine analysis of data from the Twitter social network can detect signals of a medicine shortage and serve as an early warning system and, if so, for which medicines or patient groups. METHODS Medicine shortages between January 31 and December 1, 2019, were collected from the Dutch pharmacists' society's national catalog Royal Dutch Pharmacists Association (KNMP) Farmanco. Posts on these shortages were collected by searching for the name, the active pharmaceutical ingredient, or the first word of the brand name of the medicines in shortage. Posts were then selected based on relevant keywords that potentially indicated a shortage and the percentage of shortages with at least 1 post was calculated. The first posts per shortage were analyzed for their timing (median number of days, including the IQR) versus the national catalog, also stratified by disease and medicine characteristics. The content of the first post per shortage was analyzed descriptively for its reporting stakeholder and the nature of the post. RESULTS Of the 341 medicine shortages, 102 (29.9%) were mentioned on Twitter. Of these 102 shortages, 18 (5.3% of the total) were mentioned prior to or simultaneous to publication by KNMP Farmanco. Only 4 (1.2%) of these were mentioned on Twitter more than 14 days before. On average, posts were published with a median delay of 37 (IQR 7-81) days to publication by KNMP Farmanco. Shortages mentioned on Twitter affected a greater number of patients and lasted longer than those that were not mentioned. We could not conclusively relate either the presence or absence on Twitter to a disease area or route of administration of the medicine in shortage. The first posts on the 102 shortages were mainly published by patients (n=51, 50.0%) and health care professionals (n=46, 45.1%). We identified 8 categories of nature of content. Sharing personal experience (n=44, 43.1%) was the most common category. CONCLUSIONS The Twitter social network is not a suitable early warning system for medicine shortages. Twitter primarily echoes already-known information rather than spreads new information. However, Twitter or potentially any other social media platform provides the opportunity for future qualitative research in the increasingly important field of medicine shortages that investigates how a larger population of patients is affected by shortages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Doerine J Postma
- Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Clinical Pharmacology, Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences (UIPS), Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
- Royal Dutch Pharmacists Association, The Hague, Netherlands
| | - Magali L A Heijkoop
- Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Clinical Pharmacology, Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences (UIPS), Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Peter A G M De Smet
- Departments of IQ Healthcare and Clinical Pharmacy, Radboud Institute for Health Sciences, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Kim Notenboom
- Dutch Medicines Evaluation Board, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Hubert G M Leufkens
- Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Clinical Pharmacology, Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences (UIPS), Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Aukje K Mantel-Teeuwisse
- Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Clinical Pharmacology, Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences (UIPS), Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
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Harris D, Ho L, Taylor S. Impact of medicine shortages on hospital practice: role of a multidisciplinary medicine shortages team. Int J Clin Pharm 2024:10.1007/s11096-024-01772-4. [PMID: 39007990 DOI: 10.1007/s11096-024-01772-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2024] [Accepted: 06/20/2024] [Indexed: 07/16/2024]
Abstract
Medicine shortages are an increasing issue, with broad public health implications for patients, health professionals and institutions. Despite national notification mechanisms involving sponsors and national regulators (e.g. Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration), shortages continue to be a significant workload in hospitals, particularly for pharmacy staff. In this article, we describe the implications of medicine shortages and a team approach to their management in an Australian public hospital. The medicine shortages team comprises senior pharmacists, a pharmacy technician, and a purchasing officer, in consultation with medical staff. A 10 week audit recorded 34 medicine shortages and/or discontinuations, comprising 49 usually stocked products. Shortages were more quickly identified by the purchasing officer using established relationships with suppliers, rather than relying on sponsor or government communication. Having a team systematically dealing with these shortages enables expertise in supply chains, finances, therapeutics, and medicine safety to be shared, to identify optimal interventions to mitigate patient risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Harris
- The Royal Melbourne Hospital, Parkville, VIC, Australia.
- Pharmacy Department, Austin Health, Victoria, Australia.
| | - Lisa Ho
- Pharmacy Department, Austin Health, Victoria, Australia
| | - Simone Taylor
- Pharmacy Department, Austin Health, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Critical Care, University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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Farooq W, Baig N, Khan BA, Butt FA, Hanif A, Ali A, Raza MR. Enhancement of paediatric oncology pharmacy practices in a low-middle-income country through teaching and training using the My Child Matters Grant. J Oncol Pharm Pract 2024; 30:786-791. [PMID: 37461352 DOI: 10.1177/10781552231184779] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2024]
Abstract
The development of a successful oncology pharmacy system includes competency training, cost-efficient procurement, proper storage, preparation and administration of chemotherapy, and appropriate waste disposal. Low-middle-income countries such as Pakistan face several challenges within the realm of oncology pharmacy such as the unavailability of training programmes, resources and financial support, and inconsistencies in the safe handling of cytotoxic drugs. The Indus Hospital and Health Network (IHHN) is among the pioneers of oncology pharmacy practices in Pakistan, with a well-established Oncology Pharmacy Team and chemotherapy preparation in accordance with the United States Pharmacopeia 797 and 800 safety guidelines. The My Child Matters Grant was awarded by the Sanofi Espoir Foundation to the Department of Paediatric Hematology and Oncology at IHHN for holistic improvement in childhood cancer care through teaching, training and capacity building. Partnerships were formed with five public-sector paediatric oncology units nationwide. Initiatives were taken to improve oncology pharmacy practices including teaching and training courses, in-person assessment visits, and mentorship and liaison efforts. Despite prevailing challenges, promising improvements were noted at each centre. However, Pakistan needs to establish a national plan for childhood cancer with the creation of regional organisations for the training and monitoring of oncology pharmacists. Centralisation of pharmacy operations within hospitals is essential to maintain the availability, storage, preparation and administration standards of chemotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wasfa Farooq
- Department of Paediatric Hematology & Oncology, Indus Hospital & Health Network, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Natasha Baig
- Department of Paediatric Hematology & Oncology, Indus Hospital & Health Network, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Bashir Ahmed Khan
- Department of Paediatric Hematology & Oncology, Indus Hospital & Health Network, Karachi, Pakistan
| | | | - Ayesha Hanif
- Department of Pharmacy, Indus Hospital & Health Network, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Arif Ali
- Department of Pharmacy, Indus Hospital & Health Network, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Rafie Raza
- Department of Paediatric Hematology & Oncology, Indus Hospital & Health Network, Karachi, Pakistan
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Elias L, Mushi L. Effectiveness of prime vendor system on availability of medicines and medical supplies in the selected public health facilities in Arusha district council. BMC Health Serv Res 2024; 24:161. [PMID: 38303051 PMCID: PMC10836008 DOI: 10.1186/s12913-024-10581-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 02/03/2024] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The shortage of medicines and medical supplies remains to be a major issue that is facing public health facilities in Tanzania. This situation has been influenced by lack of consistency in the supply chain, increase in healthcare demand, poor regulatory system, insufficient funds, and lack of conducive infrastructure. Formerly, the Government initiatives such as engagement with the Prime Vendor System (PVS) demonstrated great assistance in getting rid of this challenge. Despite the operation of PVS, a recent shortage of medicines and medical supplies has been noticed. OBJECTIVES This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of PVS on the availability of medicine and medical supplies in the selected public health facilities in Arusha District Council. METHODS The study used a case study design with mixed research approach. The study involved 77 respondents which included 25 health facility in-charges, 50 patients, 1 District Pharmacist and 1 Prime Vendor. Questionnaires, interviews, and observation methods were used to collect data. Data collected covered a period of 2021-2022. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the qualitative data whereas descriptive analysis was used to analyze the quantitative data with the help of Excel and the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 28.0. RESULTS The analysis indicates that PVS is not completely effective in supplying medicines and medical supplies due to its low capacity to conform to the orders placed by the public health facilities, a lack of supply competition, and a failure to adhere to contractual terms. Furthermore, at the time of data collection, the average availability of medicines and medical supplies at the selected public health facilities was 74.8%, while 80% of the selected public health facilities reported having a scarcity of medicines and medical supplies, and 92% of the interviewed patients reported having no full access to medicines. CONCLUSION Despite the shortcomings associated with the operation of the PVS, the system still seems to be very important for enhancing the availability of medicines and medical supplies once its effectiveness is strengthened. This study recommends a routine monitoring of PVS operations and timely interventions to reinforce an adherence to the contracted terms and improve PVS effectiveness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liberatus Elias
- Now For Compassion (NFC) Tanzania, Arusha, United Republic of Tanzania.
| | - Lawrencia Mushi
- Department of Health Systems Management, School of Public Administration and Management, Mzumbe University, Morogoro, United Republic of Tanzania
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Belgodère L, Emmerich J, Albin N, Bacon T, Daynes P, Vignot S, Vial T, Renaud G, Le Saulnier C, Maillard-Couvreur C, Cachet M, Veyries ML, Youdarene R, Oualikene-Gonin W, Ratignier-Carbonneil C, Maison P. Prevention and management of health products shortages by the French national agency (ANSM), 10 years of experience. Front Public Health 2023; 11:1293110. [PMID: 38045969 PMCID: PMC10690943 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1293110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2023] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 12/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Shortages of drugs and medical devices have tended to increase in France and worldwide, with consequences for patients and healthcare professionals. Preventing shortages of health products has become a priority for regulatory authorities, including the French National Agency for Medicines and Health Products Safety (ANSM). To highlight perspectives for a better prevention, we described and analyzed the management of shortages in the availability of health products in France over the last 10 years. The supply chain was mapped to identify the main causes of shortages and stakeholders involved in managing shortages throughout the supply chain. National and European initiatives and regulatory measures were reviewed. A retrospective nationwide data analysis from the French reporting system of health product shortage reports was conducted over 10 years for drugs (2013-2022) and over an 18-month period for medical devices, from 1st March 2022 to 31st August 2023. An increase in drug shortage reports was observed, rising from 404 in 2013 to 3,761 in 2022 for drugs, with a relatively constant distribution of affected therapeutic classes. In 2022, the main reported causes of drug shortage risk were insufficient production capacity (27.1%), increased sales volume (21.5%), or lack of supply (13.6%). Over half of the reports on medical devices (55.4%) were objectified as indispensable, and their causes were mainly due to a lack of supply (48.2%), discontinuation of marketing (14.9%), increased sales volume (13.2%), and regulatory reasons (9.6%). ANSM and French authorities have engaged a public health policy for prevention and management of health product shortages including financial penalties, minimum safety stocks for Major Therapeutic Interest drugs, and a shortage management plan. Based on 10 years of experience, four priority measures have been identified to anticipate the risk of heath products shortages based: the importance of a national coordination from raw materials to local market, the implementation of new prevention and management actions in the supply chain, strengthening European cooperation and regulation including the establishment of a list of critical drugs, and promoting transparency and information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laëtitia Belgodère
- Agence Nationale de Sécurité du Médicament et des Produits de Santé (ANSM), Saint Denis, France
| | - Joseph Emmerich
- Agence Nationale de Sécurité du Médicament et des Produits de Santé (ANSM), Saint Denis, France
- Hôpital Saint Joseph Paris (Médecine Vasculaire), INSERM 1153 CRESS, Université de Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Nicolas Albin
- Agence Nationale de Sécurité du Médicament et des Produits de Santé (ANSM), Saint Denis, France
- Groupe Hospitalier Mutualiste de Grenoble, Institut Daniel Hollard, Grenoble, France
| | - Trystan Bacon
- Agence Nationale de Sécurité du Médicament et des Produits de Santé (ANSM), Saint Denis, France
- General Practitioner, Montmerle-sur-Saône, France
- Collège universitaire de médecine générale, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Lyon, France
- Groupe de travail "Thérapeutique", Collège de la médecine générale, Paris, France
| | - Pascale Daynes
- Agence Nationale de Sécurité du Médicament et des Produits de Santé (ANSM), Saint Denis, France
- Union Francophone des Patients Partenaires, Faculté de Médecine, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Grenoble Alpes, La Tronche, France
| | - Stéphane Vignot
- Agence Nationale de Sécurité du Médicament et des Produits de Santé (ANSM), Saint Denis, France
- Institut Godinot, Reims, France
| | - Thierry Vial
- Agence Nationale de Sécurité du Médicament et des Produits de Santé (ANSM), Saint Denis, France
- Hospices Civils de Lyon, Lyon, France
| | - Guillaume Renaud
- Agence Nationale de Sécurité du Médicament et des Produits de Santé (ANSM), Saint Denis, France
| | - Carole Le Saulnier
- Agence Nationale de Sécurité du Médicament et des Produits de Santé (ANSM), Saint Denis, France
| | | | - Mélanie Cachet
- Agence Nationale de Sécurité du Médicament et des Produits de Santé (ANSM), Saint Denis, France
| | - Marie-Laure Veyries
- Agence Nationale de Sécurité du Médicament et des Produits de Santé (ANSM), Saint Denis, France
| | - Rym Youdarene
- Agence Nationale de Sécurité du Médicament et des Produits de Santé (ANSM), Saint Denis, France
| | - Wahiba Oualikene-Gonin
- Agence Nationale de Sécurité du Médicament et des Produits de Santé (ANSM), Saint Denis, France
| | | | - Patrick Maison
- Agence Nationale de Sécurité du Médicament et des Produits de Santé (ANSM), Saint Denis, France
- EA 7379, Epiderme, Faculté de Santé, Université Paris-Est Créteil, Créteil, France
- CHI Créteil, Créteil, France
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Sánchez DIR, Vogler S. Shortages of Medicines to Treat COVID-19 Symptoms during the First Wave and Fourth Wave: Analysis of Notifications Reported to Registers in Austria, Italy, and Spain. PHARMACY 2023; 11:120. [PMID: 37489351 PMCID: PMC10366777 DOI: 10.3390/pharmacy11040120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2023] [Revised: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The study aimed to investigate medicine shortages of critical relevance in the pandemic. A total of 487 active substances for the treatment of COVID-19-related symptoms and therapeutically similar medicines were reviewed as to whether or not a shortage had been notified in Austria, Italy, and Spain for February 2020, March 2020, April 2020 (first wave of the pandemic), and, in comparison, in November 2021 (fourth wave). Publicly accessible shortage registers managed by the national regulatory authorities were consulted. For 48 active substances, a shortage was notified for at least one of the study months, mostly March and April 2020. Out of these 48 active substances, 30 had been explicitly recommended as COVID-19 therapy options. A total of 71% of the active substances with notified shortage concerned medicines labeled as essential by the World Health Organization. During the first wave, Spain and Italy had higher numbers of shortage notifications for the product sample, in terms of active substances as well as medicine presentations, than Austria. In November 2021, the number of shortage notifications for the studied substances reached lower levels in Austria and Spain. The study showed an increase in shortage notifications for COVID-19-relevant medicines in the first months of the pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sabine Vogler
- WHO Collaborating Centre for Pharmaceutical Pricing and Reimbursement Policies, Pharmacoeconomics Department, Gesundheit Österreich (GÖG/Austrian National Public Health Institute), 1010 Vienna, Austria
- Department of Health Care Management, Technische Universität Berlin, 10623 Berlin, Germany
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Itani R, Khojah HM, Karout S, Abu-Farha R, Mukattash TL, Rahme D, Housary K, Achi HE, Safar AO, Al Hajj IK, El-Lakany A. Oral contraceptive pills shortage in Lebanon amidst the economic collapse: a nationwide exploratory study. BMC Health Serv Res 2023; 23:520. [PMID: 37221534 DOI: 10.1186/s12913-023-09523-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 05/25/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The political instability, economic crisis, and devaluation of the national currency left Lebanese females suffering from a scarcity of oral contraceptive pills (OCPs). Therefore, we aimed to identify the incidence of OCPs shortage in Lebanon and its impact on women's sexual and reproductive health, as well as physical and psychological well-being. METHODS Community pharmacies were selected randomly across Lebanon, using a stratified sampling approach, where female clients asking for OCPs were interviewed using a standardized data collection form. RESULTS A total of 440 females were interviewed. More than three-quarters of the participants (76.4%) reported not finding their preferred OCPs brands, almost 40% were affected by the increased prices, and 28.4% declared stockpiling OCPs. More than half of the participants using OCPs for pregnancy prevention reported adopting alternative traditional contraceptive methods (55.3%). Unplanned pregnancy was reported by 9.5% of participants, where 75% of them disclosed intentional abortion while the remaining (25%) reported experiencing a spontaneous miscarriage. Other consequences of OCPs shortage included mood disturbances (52.3%), dysregulation of menses (49.7%), dysmenorrhea (21.1%), weight gain (19.6%), acne (15.7%), and hirsutism (12.5%). Of the participants taking OCPs for birth control, 48.6% reported a reduced frequency of sexual intercourse, which led to conflicts with their partners (46%) and a decreased libido (26.7%). CONCLUSIONS OCPs shortage has seriously and negatively exposed women to various undesirable consequences including unplanned pregnancy and dysregulation of menses. Therefore, there is an urgent need to bring the attention of healthcare authorities to support the national pharmaceutical industry in manufacturing affordable OCPs generics to meet women's reproductive health demands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rania Itani
- Pharmacy Practice Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Beirut Arab University, Riad El Solh, P.O. Box: 11-5020, Beirut, 1107 2809, Lebanon
| | - Hani Mj Khojah
- Department of Clinical and Hospital Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Taibah University, P.O. Box: 30051, Madinah, 41477, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Samar Karout
- Pharmacy Practice Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Beirut Arab University, Riad El Solh, P.O. Box: 11-5020, Beirut, 1107 2809, Lebanon.
| | - Rana Abu-Farha
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Therapeutics, Faculty of Pharmacy, Applied Science Private University, P.O. Box: 11931, Amman, Jordan
| | - Tareq L Mukattash
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Jordan University of Science and Technology, P.O. Box: 3030, Irbid, 22110, Jordan
| | - Deema Rahme
- Pharmacy Practice Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Beirut Arab University, Riad El Solh, P.O. Box: 11-5020, Beirut, 1107 2809, Lebanon
| | - Khouloud Housary
- Pharmacy Practice Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Beirut Arab University, Riad El Solh, P.O. Box: 11-5020, Beirut, 1107 2809, Lebanon
| | - Hiam El Achi
- Pharmacy Practice Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Beirut Arab University, Riad El Solh, P.O. Box: 11-5020, Beirut, 1107 2809, Lebanon
| | - Ali O Safar
- Obstetrics and Gynecology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Beirut Arab University, Riad El Solh, P.O. Box: 11-5020, Beirut, 1107 2809, Lebanon
| | - Ismail Karam Al Hajj
- Internal Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine, Beirut Arab University, Riad El Solh, P.O. Box: 11-5020, Beirut, 1107 2809, Lebanon
| | - Abdalla El-Lakany
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, Beirut Arab University, Riad El Solh, P.O. Box: 11-5020, Beirut, 1107 2809, Lebanon
- Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt
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Arif R, Khan AZ, Hammad M, Ghani U, Vaddepalli R, Sanker V. Current Practices and Perceived Role of Community Pharmacists in Type 2 Diabetes Services in Pakistan. Cureus 2023; 15:e37311. [PMID: 37182028 PMCID: PMC10166723 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.37311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/08/2023] [Indexed: 05/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Diabetes mellitus is a chronic illness which is becoming more prevalent in developing countries, and it is being managed mostly in hospitals or clinics in underdeveloped nations. Other strategies for treatment delivery in emerging nations must be considered as the number of diabetic patients grows. Community pharmacists are a valuable choice for diabetes care. However, only developed countries have data on community pharmacists' diabetes treatment practices. Methodology A non-probability consecutive sampling strategy was used to gather a self-administered questionnaire from 289 community pharmacists. Six points Likert scale was employed to score current practices and pharmacists' perceived role. A response rate of 55% was attained. Characteristics associated with present behaviors and perceived roles were analyzed using Chi-square and logistic regression. Results The majority of the respondents were males, 234 (81.0%). Out of 289, 229 (79.2%) were of 25-30 years of age and were pharmacists as well as qualified persons (QP) 189 (65.4%). A QP is one who has the legal authority to sell drugs to customers. The majority had <5 years of working experience as a community pharmacist, 268 (92.7%), and did not have diabetes training, 237 (82.0%). Most community pharmacies were stand-alone, 110 (38.1%), and had a single or a group of proprietors, 248 (85.8%). Open hours of most of the pharmacies were 16-20 hours per day, 202 (69.8%), and most had one pharmacist, 243 (84.1%), i.e., working as a pharmacist as well as a qualified person. Approximately 203 (70.2%) of the pharmacies had customers >2000 in a month and >100 customers purchased anti-diabetes medications per month. Only 44 (15.2%) community pharmacies had a designated room or space for patient counselling. The majority of pharmacists were also in favor of providing services other than dispensing such as counselling the patients about prescribed medicines, direction of use, use of devices for insulin administration, training on self-monitoring of glucose, and healthy lifestyle and diet practices. Pharmacy setting, ownership, patient counseling area, and the number of customers per month were key factors in the provision of diabetes services. The main obstacles identified were a lack of pharmacist availability and academic competency. Conclusion In Rawalpindi and Islamabad, most community pharmacies only provide a basic dispensing service for diabetes patients. Most of the community pharmacists agreed to extend their duties. The expansion of pharmacist professional responsibilities would help control the rising diabetes burden. The facilitators and hurdles identified would serve as a foundation for the introduction of diabetic care in community pharmacies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rasikh Arif
- Clinical Research, Al-Shifa Trust Eye Hospital, Rawalpindi, PAK
| | - Ali Zeb Khan
- Clinical Research, Al-Shifa Trust Eye Hospital, Rawalpindi, PAK
| | - Muhammad Hammad
- Pharmacy, Shifa Tameer-E-Millat University Shifa College of Medicine, Islamabad, PAK
| | - Usman Ghani
- Clinical Research, Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, PAK
| | | | - Vivek Sanker
- General Surgery, Noorul Islam Institute of Medical Science and Research (NIMS), Trivandrum, IND
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Postma DJ, Notenboom K, De Smet PAGM, Leufkens HGM, Mantel-Teeuwisse AK. Medicine shortages: impact behind numbers. J Pharm Policy Pract 2023; 16:44. [PMID: 36918981 PMCID: PMC10013985 DOI: 10.1186/s40545-023-00548-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2023] [Accepted: 03/03/2023] [Indexed: 03/16/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Current research to assess the impact that medicine shortages have on patients is limited to general aspects, such as the prevalence of shortages and product characteristics. The aim of this study is to assess the overall impact that medicine shortages have on economic, clinical, and humanistic outcomes. METHODS A cohort of all known products in shortage in the Netherlands between 2012 and 2015 were characterized by their route of administration, anatomical therapeutic chemical class, and whether they were originator or generic products. A representative sample of 324 shortages (18% of all shortages) was rated as having low, medium, or high impact on the five elements that determine the impact of shortages on patients: availability of an alternative product, underlying disease, susceptibility of the patient, costs (for patients and society at large), and number of patients affected. Ratings were converted into numerical scores per element and multiplied to obtain an overall impact score. RESULTS Two elements were most frequently rated as having a high impact: disease (29%) and costs (20%). Nearly half of the shortages (47%) rated high on at least one element, while nearly 10% rated high on multiple elements. Thirty percent of the shortages rated high on direct impact, which is represented by these elements: alternative product and disease. An additional 17% of the shortages rated high on indirect impact, which is represented by these elements: costs, susceptibility, and number of patients. High impact scores could not significantly be attributed to characteristics of the products in shortage. CONCLUSIONS An assessment of the medicine shortages' impact using a framework based on economic, clinical, and economic outcomes showed that all three outcomes affect the overall impact that medicine shortages have on patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Doerine J Postma
- Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Clinical Pharmacology, Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences (UIPS), Utrecht University, Universiteitsweg 99, 3584 CG, Utrecht, The Netherlands.,Royal Dutch Pharmacists Association, The Hague, The Netherlands
| | - Kim Notenboom
- Dutch Medicines Evaluation Board, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Peter A G M De Smet
- Departments of IQ Health Care and of Clinical Pharmacy, Radboud University Medical Centre, Radboud Institute for Health Sciences, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Hubert G M Leufkens
- Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Clinical Pharmacology, Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences (UIPS), Utrecht University, Universiteitsweg 99, 3584 CG, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Aukje K Mantel-Teeuwisse
- Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Clinical Pharmacology, Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences (UIPS), Utrecht University, Universiteitsweg 99, 3584 CG, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
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Kabir A, Karim N, Billah B. Preference and willingness to receive non-communicable disease services from primary healthcare facilities in Bangladesh: A qualitative study. BMC Health Serv Res 2022; 22:1473. [PMID: 36463166 PMCID: PMC9719224 DOI: 10.1186/s12913-022-08886-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2022] [Accepted: 11/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In Bangladesh, non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are increasing rapidly and account for approximately 68% of mortality and 64% of disease burden. NCD services have been significantly mobilized to primary healthcare (PHC) facilities to better manage the rising burden of NCDs. However, little is known about community members' preference and willingness to receive NCD services from PHC facilities; therefore, this particular subject is the focus of this study. METHODS A qualitative study was conducted from May 2021 to October 2021. Data were collected via 16 focus group discussions involving community members and 14 key informant interviews with healthcare professionals, facility managers, and public health practitioners. Based on a social-ecological model (SEM), data were analyzed thematically. The triangulation of methods and participants was conducted to validate the information provided. RESULTS Preference and willingness to receive NCD services from PHC facilities were influenced by a range of individual, interpersonal, societal, and organizational factors that were interconnected and influenced each other. Knowledge and the perceived need for NCD care, misperception, self-management, interpersonal, and family-level factors played important roles in using PHC facilities. Community and societal factors (i.e., the availability of alternative and complementary services, traditional practices, social norms) and organizational and health system factors (i.e., a shortage of medicines, diagnostic capacity, untrained human resources, and poor quality of care) also emerged as key aspects that influenced preference and willingness to receive NCD services from PHC facilities. CONCLUSION Despite their substantial potential, PHC facilities may not take full advantage of managing NCDs. All four factors need to be considered when developing NCD service interventions in the primary healthcare system to better address the rising burden of NCDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashraful Kabir
- grid.1002.30000 0004 1936 7857Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Nazmul Karim
- grid.1002.30000 0004 1936 7857Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Baki Billah
- grid.1002.30000 0004 1936 7857Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
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Atif M, Ahmad M, Malik I, Mushtaq I, Ahmad N, Mehjabin, Babar ZUD. How medicines sales staff is responding to presumptive COVID-19 patients attending drug retail outlets: An exploratory qualitative study. Int J Health Plann Manage 2021; 36:2297-2312. [PMID: 34390010 PMCID: PMC8426854 DOI: 10.1002/hpm.3293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2020] [Revised: 07/15/2021] [Accepted: 07/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The objective of this qualitative study was to explore how the medicine sales staff responded to presumptive COVID‐19 patients in Pakistan. The data were obtained from the medicine sales staff working at drug retail outlets of Bahawalpur, Punjab, Pakistan, through in‐depth face‐to‐face interviews using a semi‐structured interview guide. A two‐step sampling strategy was used, including purposive and convenient sampling techniques. Sample size was determined by applying the saturation point criteria. A total of 17 interviews were audio‐recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed using the thematic analysis. Analysis of data yielded six themes and seven sub‐themes. The themes included (1) knowledge about various aspects of COVID‐19, (2) practices of sales staff in response to COVID‐19 pandemic, (3) attitude of sales staff towards COVID‐19 pandemic, (4) services offered to presumptive COVID‐19 patients, (5) challenges encountered during pandemic and (6) suggestions to improve delivery of pharmacy services by sales staff. In Pakistan, non‐pharmacist sales staff had superficial knowledge about COVID‐19. Presumptive COVID‐19 patients were provided with only basic pharmacy services. Professional training is advised among pharmacy sales staff as a short‐term solution to improve their knowledge. As a long‐term goal, the availability of pharmacists at drug retail outlets is warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Atif
- Department of Pharmacy Practice, Faculty of Pharmacy, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Bahawalpur, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Ahmad
- Department of Pharmacy Practice, Faculty of Pharmacy, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Bahawalpur, Pakistan
| | - Iram Malik
- Department of Pharmacy Practice, Faculty of Pharmacy, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Bahawalpur, Pakistan
| | - Irem Mushtaq
- Department of Education, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Bahawalpur, Pakistan
| | - Nafees Ahmad
- Department of Pharmacy Practice, Faculty of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, University of Balochistan, Quetta, Pakistan
| | - Mehjabin
- Department of Pharmacy Practice, Faculty of Pharmacy, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Bahawalpur, Pakistan
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