Revolving drug funds: a step towards health security. (1/1252)

The establishment of a revolving drug fund project in Viet Nam is described and the factors responsible for its success are considered. As well as being a tool for cost recovery a revolving drug fund can serve as an entry point for strengthening health care and improving health security at local and district level.  (+info)

Sales practices of patent medicine sellers in Nigeria. (2/1252)

A survey was carried out among patent medicine dealers to evaluate their practices that militate against laws governing prescriptions-only medicines in Nigeria. Questionnaires were distributed to 46 patent medicine dealers and later collected from them on appointment. Analysis of the results showed that all the patent medicine dealers were aware of the law governing the sale of prescription drugs in Nigeria. Seventy-five per cent of them stock such drugs. Patent medicine dealers obtain their drugs largely from sales representative of pharmaceutical companies as well as from industries. Inappropriate use of sales boys and girls in patent medicine stores and defective government policies were all investigated.  (+info)

Hospitals and managed care: catching up with the networks. (3/1252)

Although the growth of managed care is having a significant impact on hospitals, organizational response to managed care remains fragmented. We conducted a survey of 83 hospitals nationwide that indicated that most hospitals now have at least one person devoted to managed care initiatives. These individuals, however, often spend most of their time on current issues, such as contracting with managed care organizations and physician relations. Concerns for the future, such as network development and marketing, although important, receive less immediate attention form these individuals. Hospital managed care executives must take a more proactive role in long range managed care planning by collaborating with managed care organizations and pharmaceutical companies.  (+info)

The challenge of integrating monoclonal antibodies into the current healthcare system. (4/1252)

Although there are few monoclonal antibody (MoAb) products on the market, the biotechnology industry has made considerable progress over the last decade. The industry has developed new technology to address the primary hurdles facing the development of MoAbs--including the immune response to murine-derived antibodies as well as lack of tumor specificity. As the techniques for development become more refined, more products will be approved by the Food and Drug Administration. Integrating these products into the existing healthcare system will be a challenge, given their high acquisition costs. Recent pharmacoeconomic examples outlined in this paper confirm that MoAb products will need to be supported with proven clinical and economic profiles. As long as a global clinical and economic perspective is taken and patient care benefits can be demonstrated, the place of MoAbs in the future of healthcare will be assured.  (+info)

Sale of drugs and health care utilization in a health care district in Zaire. (5/1252)

Health centres of Idjwi district (Zaire) have been self-financed through the selling of drugs since 1985. Medical care is expensive and its use is low (24 visits per year per 100 inhabitants). In 1989 the medical team tried to reduce the cost of visits by changing the prices of drugs and prescriptions. A limited control was set up to assess this intervention. The study showed that although prescribed drug costs were stabilized compared to inflation, there was no increase in the use of medical care. Moreover, the reduction of drug profit margins for health centres seriously affected the health care institution by causing a drop in income. Six months after the intervention the monthly accounts showed a deficit in 6 centres out of 8. The need for health care centres to be self-financing is a major limiting factor in the use of health care in Idjwi district. There are no easy solutions for health centre managers that satisfy both low-cost access to care and health care self-financing. Some minimal financial participation from the state is required. Only then can the concept of financing health care through the selling of drugs be operational.  (+info)

Managed care guidelines for the economic evaluation of pharmaceuticals. (6/1252)

Foundation Health Corporation, through its National Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee, requires all pharmaceutical manufacturers and others who wish products to be considered for formulary listing to meet evidentiary and analytical standards in their submission documentation. This article details the evidentiary and analytical standards required from those making submissions and describes the methodological basis of the guidelines. This is the first time, as far as the authors are aware, that a managed care health system in the United States has required formulary submissions not only to meet clinical and economic evaluation standards, but also to take explicit account of the perspective of the managed care group in applying these techniques. Submissions are required to take what is described as a systems impact perspective. This approach is quite different, in both evidentiary and analytical terms, from standards required by health systems in other countries and standards for the economic evaluation of pharmaceuticals proposed by expert groups in the United States.  (+info)

Three countries' experience with Norplant introduction. (7/1252)

Despite international efforts to plan for Norplant introduction, the method has drawn the attention of critics of family planning programmes, and has raised several issues for debate since it was introduced into family planning programmes. The experiences of three countries with the introduction of Norplant highlight some of the unique features of the method that have affected its introduction. Indonesia, Bangladesh and the United States represent diverse cultural settings and systems of family planning provision. Experience in each country has highlighted the need to focus on quality of care for clients, most notably the need for good counselling and attention to removal as well as insertion. The cost of Norplant also has influenced its introduction in each country. Another issue includes the need to work with women's health advocacy groups, which is illustrated particularly in Bangladesh. Finally, the role of litigation in the United States, and its potential role in influencing Norplant introduction in other countries, is discussed. These three countries' experience illustrate the importance of understanding the programmatic context of contraceptive introduction.  (+info)

Outcomes research: collaboration among academic researchers, managed care organizations, and pharmaceutical manufacturers. (8/1252)

Medical and pharmaceutical outcomes research has been of increasing interest in the past 10 to 15 years among healthcare providers, payers, and regulatory agencies. Outcomes research has become a multidisciplinary field involving clinicians, health services researchers, epidemiologists, psychometricians, statisticians, psychologists, sociologists, economists, and ethicists. Collaboration among researchers in different organizations that offer different types of services and various research expertise is the essential element for any successful outcomes project. In this article we discuss collaboration on outcomes research among academic researchers (mainly those who work in colleges of pharmacy), managed care organizations, and research-based pharmaceutical manufacturers, with a focus on the opportunities and challenges facing each party. The pharmaceutical industry needs information to make product and promotion decisions; the managed care industry has data to offer but needs analysis of these data; and pharmacy schools, among other academic institutions, have skilled researchers and data-processing capacity but require projects for revenue, research training, experience, and publications. Challenges do exist with such endeavors, but collaboration could be beneficial in satisfying the needs of the individual parties.  (+info)