How and why pharmaceutical reforms contribute to universal health coverage through improving equitable access to medicines: a case of Ghana
BackgroundExamining how and why a country prioritizes and implements pharmaceutical reforms tends to show complex processes and myriad efforts made toward improving access to medicines. This study examines factors that enabled the prioritization and implementation of selected pharmaceutical reform i...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2023-07-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Public Health |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1163342/full |
| _version_ | 1797785402843594752 |
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| author | Augustina Koduah |
| author_facet | Augustina Koduah |
| author_sort | Augustina Koduah |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | BackgroundExamining how and why a country prioritizes and implements pharmaceutical reforms tends to show complex processes and myriad efforts made toward improving access to medicines. This study examines factors that enabled the prioritization and implementation of selected pharmaceutical reform items and how these factors contributed to improving equitable access to medicines and universal health coverage in Ghana.MethodsAn analytical framework was developed to identify variables to explore in answering the study questions and frame the analysis and presentation of findings. Documents analyzed included the National Medicines Policies, Health Sector Program of Work, and other health policies. Quantitative data were sourced from databases maintained by World Health Organization and the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation.ResultsThe three main factors, evidence, financial and technical support, and alignment to national and global policies, influenced the prioritization and implementation of access to medicines reforms. The reforms targeted rational selection and use of medicines, medicine pricing, sustainable medicine financing, and regulatory and supply chain systems. Although there were limited quantitative data to quantify access to medicine policies” impact on universal health coverage, it can be reasonably assumed that, in Ghana, access to medicine policies has contributed to financial protection and improved access to quality health services.ConclusionAccess to medicine policies targeted at promoting rational medicine selection and use, regulating medicine pricing and improving sustainable financing for medicines as well as the regulatory and supply chain systems arguably contributed to the attainment of UHC and must be sustained. Therefore, data collection and reporting indicators for access to medicines must be prioritized. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-13T00:53:36Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d46852c053d64170bdad65994b7c9000 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-2565 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-13T00:53:36Z |
| publishDate | 2023-07-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Public Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-d46852c053d64170bdad65994b7c90002023-07-07T09:07:01ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Public Health2296-25652023-07-011110.3389/fpubh.2023.11633421163342How and why pharmaceutical reforms contribute to universal health coverage through improving equitable access to medicines: a case of GhanaAugustina KoduahBackgroundExamining how and why a country prioritizes and implements pharmaceutical reforms tends to show complex processes and myriad efforts made toward improving access to medicines. This study examines factors that enabled the prioritization and implementation of selected pharmaceutical reform items and how these factors contributed to improving equitable access to medicines and universal health coverage in Ghana.MethodsAn analytical framework was developed to identify variables to explore in answering the study questions and frame the analysis and presentation of findings. Documents analyzed included the National Medicines Policies, Health Sector Program of Work, and other health policies. Quantitative data were sourced from databases maintained by World Health Organization and the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation.ResultsThe three main factors, evidence, financial and technical support, and alignment to national and global policies, influenced the prioritization and implementation of access to medicines reforms. The reforms targeted rational selection and use of medicines, medicine pricing, sustainable medicine financing, and regulatory and supply chain systems. Although there were limited quantitative data to quantify access to medicine policies” impact on universal health coverage, it can be reasonably assumed that, in Ghana, access to medicine policies has contributed to financial protection and improved access to quality health services.ConclusionAccess to medicine policies targeted at promoting rational medicine selection and use, regulating medicine pricing and improving sustainable financing for medicines as well as the regulatory and supply chain systems arguably contributed to the attainment of UHC and must be sustained. Therefore, data collection and reporting indicators for access to medicines must be prioritized.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1163342/fullaccess to medicinesuniversal health coveragepolicy prioritizationreformsGhana |
| spellingShingle | Augustina Koduah How and why pharmaceutical reforms contribute to universal health coverage through improving equitable access to medicines: a case of Ghana Frontiers in Public Health access to medicines universal health coverage policy prioritization reforms Ghana |
| title | How and why pharmaceutical reforms contribute to universal health coverage through improving equitable access to medicines: a case of Ghana |
| title_full | How and why pharmaceutical reforms contribute to universal health coverage through improving equitable access to medicines: a case of Ghana |
| title_fullStr | How and why pharmaceutical reforms contribute to universal health coverage through improving equitable access to medicines: a case of Ghana |
| title_full_unstemmed | How and why pharmaceutical reforms contribute to universal health coverage through improving equitable access to medicines: a case of Ghana |
| title_short | How and why pharmaceutical reforms contribute to universal health coverage through improving equitable access to medicines: a case of Ghana |
| title_sort | how and why pharmaceutical reforms contribute to universal health coverage through improving equitable access to medicines a case of ghana |
| topic | access to medicines universal health coverage policy prioritization reforms Ghana |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1163342/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT augustinakoduah howandwhypharmaceuticalreformscontributetouniversalhealthcoveragethroughimprovingequitableaccesstomedicinesacaseofghana |