Brands, costs and registration status of antimalarial drugs in the Kenyan retail sector.

BACKGROUND: Although an important source of treatment for fevers, little is known about the structure of the retail sector in Africa with regard to antimalarial drugs. This study aimed to assess the range, costs, sources and registration of antimalarial drugs in the Kenyan retail sector. METHODS: In...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Amin, A, Snow, R
Format: Journal article
Language:English
Published: 2005
_version_ 1826261094422806528
author Amin, A
Snow, R
author_facet Amin, A
Snow, R
author_sort Amin, A
collection OXFORD
description BACKGROUND: Although an important source of treatment for fevers, little is known about the structure of the retail sector in Africa with regard to antimalarial drugs. This study aimed to assess the range, costs, sources and registration of antimalarial drugs in the Kenyan retail sector. METHODS: In 2002, antimalarial drug registration and trade prices were established by triangulating national registration lists, government gazettes and trade price indices. Data on registration status and trade prices were compared with similar data generated through a retail audit undertaken among 880 randomly sampled retailers in four districts of Kenya. RESULTS: Two hundred and eighteen antimalarial drugs were in circulation in Kenya in 2002. These included 65 "sulfur"-pyrimethamine (sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine and sulfalene-pyrimethamine (SP), the first-line recommended drug in 2002) and 33 amodiaquine (AQ, the second-line recommended drug) preparations. Only half of SP and AQ products were registered with the Pharmacy and Poisons Board. Of SP and AQ brands at district level, 40% and 44% were officially within legal registration requirements. 29% of retailers at district level stocked SP and 95% stocked AQ. The retail price of adult doses of SP and AQ were on average 0.38 and 0.76 US dollars, 100% and 347% higher than trade prices from manufacturers and importers. Artemether-lumefantrine, the newly announced first-line recommended antimalarial drug in 2004, was found in less than 1% of all retail outlets at a median cost of 7.6 US dollars. CONCLUSION: There is a need to ensure that all antimalarial drugs are registered with the Pharmacy and Poisons Board to facilitate a more stringent post-marketing surveillance system to ensure drugs are safe and of good quality post-registration.
first_indexed 2024-03-06T19:16:10Z
format Journal article
id oxford-uuid:1873103f-8fd3-42f0-bb50-22b9de3efbdf
institution University of Oxford
language English
last_indexed 2024-03-06T19:16:10Z
publishDate 2005
record_format dspace
spelling oxford-uuid:1873103f-8fd3-42f0-bb50-22b9de3efbdf2022-03-26T10:43:21ZBrands, costs and registration status of antimalarial drugs in the Kenyan retail sector.Journal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:1873103f-8fd3-42f0-bb50-22b9de3efbdfEnglishSymplectic Elements at Oxford2005Amin, ASnow, RBACKGROUND: Although an important source of treatment for fevers, little is known about the structure of the retail sector in Africa with regard to antimalarial drugs. This study aimed to assess the range, costs, sources and registration of antimalarial drugs in the Kenyan retail sector. METHODS: In 2002, antimalarial drug registration and trade prices were established by triangulating national registration lists, government gazettes and trade price indices. Data on registration status and trade prices were compared with similar data generated through a retail audit undertaken among 880 randomly sampled retailers in four districts of Kenya. RESULTS: Two hundred and eighteen antimalarial drugs were in circulation in Kenya in 2002. These included 65 "sulfur"-pyrimethamine (sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine and sulfalene-pyrimethamine (SP), the first-line recommended drug in 2002) and 33 amodiaquine (AQ, the second-line recommended drug) preparations. Only half of SP and AQ products were registered with the Pharmacy and Poisons Board. Of SP and AQ brands at district level, 40% and 44% were officially within legal registration requirements. 29% of retailers at district level stocked SP and 95% stocked AQ. The retail price of adult doses of SP and AQ were on average 0.38 and 0.76 US dollars, 100% and 347% higher than trade prices from manufacturers and importers. Artemether-lumefantrine, the newly announced first-line recommended antimalarial drug in 2004, was found in less than 1% of all retail outlets at a median cost of 7.6 US dollars. CONCLUSION: There is a need to ensure that all antimalarial drugs are registered with the Pharmacy and Poisons Board to facilitate a more stringent post-marketing surveillance system to ensure drugs are safe and of good quality post-registration.
spellingShingle Amin, A
Snow, R
Brands, costs and registration status of antimalarial drugs in the Kenyan retail sector.
title Brands, costs and registration status of antimalarial drugs in the Kenyan retail sector.
title_full Brands, costs and registration status of antimalarial drugs in the Kenyan retail sector.
title_fullStr Brands, costs and registration status of antimalarial drugs in the Kenyan retail sector.
title_full_unstemmed Brands, costs and registration status of antimalarial drugs in the Kenyan retail sector.
title_short Brands, costs and registration status of antimalarial drugs in the Kenyan retail sector.
title_sort brands costs and registration status of antimalarial drugs in the kenyan retail sector
work_keys_str_mv AT amina brandscostsandregistrationstatusofantimalarialdrugsinthekenyanretailsector
AT snowr brandscostsandregistrationstatusofantimalarialdrugsinthekenyanretailsector