BackgroundAccess to medicines is a universal right. Low availability and low affordability of medicines are issues that deny this right to a significant proportion of the world population. The objective of this study was to determine the availability, price and affordability of essential medicines prescribed to treat non communicable diseases in Sri Lanka.MethodsMethodology was based on the 2nd edition of the World Health Organization Health Action International Manual. A country survey was conducted and facilities representing both public and private pharmacies were selected. A total of 109 facilities was surveyed. At each facility data on the availability and prices of 50 essential medicines for non communicable diseases were collected. Percentage availability, median price of originator brand and lowest priced generic, median price ratio to the International Reference Price were calculated for surveyed medicines. Affordability was determined using the daily incomes of the lowest - paid unskilled government worker.ResultsSemi government community pharmacies had the highest (>80%) availability while outdoor pharmacies of public health care facilities, private pharmacies and outdoor pharmacies of private hospital showed a fairly high availability (50 - 80%) of surveyed medicines.Unit price of 76% of selected individual medicines was less than ten Sri Lankan rupees. Out of these 28% of medicines cost less than one Sri Lanka rupee. For 21 of the surveyed medicines the median price ratio to the international reference price was less than one. The prices of originator brands for 14 surveyed medicines were more than five times that of the lowest price generics.Less than a single day’s wages was adequate to purchase a month's supply of the lowest priced generic of more than 67% of surveyed medicines.ConclusionsThe availability of selected essential medicines was fairly high in both public and private sectors in Sri Lanka. Most medicines are affordable to the lowest income earners in the community. There were many generic brands and generics available for most of the medicines in private and semi government community pharmacies increasing both availability and affordability.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/1471-2458-14-817) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Cellular migration plays a vital
role in many physiological processes.
To elucidate the role of surface nanotopography on the downstream
signaling pathways underlying cell migration, model surfaces having
well-defined hill-like surface nanotopography and uniform surface
chemistry were designed and implemented using plasma polymerization
and covalent attachment of nanoparticles of predetermined size. A
scratch wound assay, immunostaining, and gene expression of focal
adhesion (FA) proteins were performed to determine the influence of
surface nanotopography on cell migration. The results of this study
demonstrate that the gap closure between cell monolayers is faster
on surfaces having greater nanoscale topography. The phenomenon is
predominantly driven by cell migration and was independent from cell
proliferation. Qualitative and quantitative assessment of proteins
involved in the signaling pathways underlying cell migration showed
significant modulation by surface nanotopography. Specifically, focal
adhesion sites decreased with the increase in surface nanotopography
scale while the expression of FA proteins increased. This implies
that nanotopography mediated modulation of cell migration is directly
governed by the recruitment of receptor and adapter proteins responsible
for cell-surface interaction. The results of this study indicate that
biomaterial devices and constructs having rationally designed surface
nanotopography and chemistry could be utilized to regulate wound healing
and tissue regeneration.
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