Community Perceptions On Likely Impact Of Decrease In Drug Prices & Health Care Access

Abstract

Interviews of 400 families in Surat city revealed that medicine costs were met as out of pocket expenses; 72 percent respondents were aware of government's contention to decrease medicine prices; sources of information were newspapers (45.6%), television (29.3%) and word of mouth (24.7%). 81 percent favoured price decrease as beneficial for people. 51.3 percent perceived that decreased prices wouldn't affect quality and quantity of medicines; 43.8 percent felt that it would lower quality. Majority opined 5 percent profit margins as ethically permissible for wholesalers and chemists; 46.3 percent favoured printing of MRP for consumer's interests; 86 percent perceived that decrease in medicine prices would improve cure rates and others listed various measures to improve treatment access. 96.3 percent were unaware of essential drugs; 45.6 and 37.8 percent perceived need for qualitative and quantitative improvement of govt. medical facilities and lastly 15.3 percent respondents favoured better regulations of private provider charges.