ISSN: 2642-6250
Authors: Ismaeil MS and Mousnad MA*
Problem Statement: High medicines prices and unavailability of vital items in all medicine outlets of Khartoum State denied patients from getting one aspect of their basic human rights, health services. However, investigating, determinants of such phenomena and presenting information to policy makers would help to take measures that make medicines available at affordable prices. Methods: Thirty private pharmacies, thirty public outlets and eighteen non-governmental organization pharmacies and twelve private hospital outlets were visited to check medicines prices and availability. The documents of the national medicines procurement agency were reviewed. The director of the state procurement agency, three managers of pharmaceutical enterprises and the director of the national medicines and poisons board were interviewed. Key Findings: The public sector procured lowest-priced generics LPGs and originator brand OB products at 0.86 times and 1.27 times the International Reference Price. Availability of OB and LPG medicines was 3.4% and 71.4% in public sector while in private sector the availability of OB and LPG medicines was 17.9% and 83% respectively. In the public pharmacies patients paid 2.55 times and 1.92 times the International Reference Prices respectively while in private retail pharmacies LPGs and OB medicines were sold to patients at 3.01 times and 15.87 times the International Reference Price. Conclusion: Both availability and patient prices of medicines in private sector pharmacies were higher than the availability and patient prices in public sector pharmacies. Patient prices in private sector in Sudan were higher than those in Eastern Mediterranean Region Organization countries.
Keywords: Medicines Prices or Availability; Affordability; Accessibility; Khartoum State; Sudan
