Access to essential drugs in Guyana: a public health challenge

Abstract

Guyana's pharmaceutical sector faces major challenges that limit access to essential drugs. This study analyzes Guyana's drug policy and regulation, public financing, and drug procurement and delivery. The study also identifies main barriers to drug access and proposes alternatives to strengthen the country's public health functions. Data were collected from the country's regulatory agencies, public procurement agency, pharmacies, wholesalers, and pharmaceutical companies. The information was supplemented with interviews with a convenient sample of Guyanese health authorities and stakeholders. Data were also compiled from scientific databases, and web pages of the country's Ministries of Health, Commerce and Finance, the Bureau of Statistics, and international organizations. Major barriers to drug access include: (1) lack of national drug policy and regulation, and limited role of the regulatory authority; (2) inefficient drug selection and irrational drug use; (3) insufficient financial resources and lack of drug pricing policy; (4) inefficient planning and managing public supply system; (5) deficient epidemiological and information systems; and (6) inadequate infrastructures and human resources shortage. Improving drug access in Guyana requires the strengthening of the country's public health functions and the implementation of a national drug policy and pricing policy, streamlining the drug financing, procurement, and planning and managing drug supply; and adequate infrastructures and human resources.

Public procurement of medicines: scoping review of the scientific literature in South America

“…Historical series of expenditures of federated entities in Brazil [24, 28] and comparisons between specifics programs [29] provided an overview of public purchase. Some papers focused on the organization of public financing, as well as the acquisition and distribution chain in Brazil [30] and in other countries such as Guyana [16]. Price comparison of generic oncological medicines was central in an article from Colombia [27].…”

“…Most articles in this category referred to Brazil (80.8%) [12, 13, 15, 17–25, 28–30, 32–37] but they also included Argentina [14], Guyana [16], Chile, Colombia [26, 27] and Ecuador [31].…”

Health Managers’ Knowledge of Essential Drugs and the Availability of Essential Drugs in Primary Health Care Centres in Sokoto, Northwest Nigeria

“…But a divergent finding was obtained from a study in Brazil which found weaknesses in local selection procedures and in the use of the National essential medicines lists [16]. Similarly, another study in Guyana and Brazil found weaknesses in the selection process of essential drugs [16,17]. About 58% of the primary health care centres had average availability of essential drugs while the remaining 42% had poor availability of essential drugs (Fig.…”

Health system determinants of access to essential medicines for children with cancer in Ghana

“…This combination of factors relegates real-world access to a function of grassroots efforts by providers, patients and local communities, with resultant inefficiencies and inequities as documented in other LMIC contexts. [38][39][40] The interconnectivity across sectors, actors and system levels reveals what Atun 41 refers to as 'dynamic complexity'; such interconnectivities warrant greater attention in policy development and implementation.…”