Access to Essential Psychotropic Medicines in Addis Ababa: A CrossSectional Study
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Date
2022-01
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
Background: Mental disorders are becoming a growing public health problemworldwide, especially in low- and middle-income countries. To provide quality mentalhealth services, regular and adequate supplies of appropriate, safe and affordablemedications are required. However, significant percentages of people with severe mentaldisorders are not getting the treatment. Availability and affordability of psychotropicmedicines, amongst others, are the major barriers for many patients in meeting theirmedication needs. This study aimed to assess the availability, prices and affordability ofessential psychotropic medicines in the private and public health sectors of Addis Ababa city.
Methods: A cross-sectional study design was used in 60 retail medicine outlets. Quotasampling and purposive sampling was applied to select the retail outlets. Data was entered and analyzed by using the pre-programmed WHO/HAI workbook and SPSSversion 25. Outcome measures were described as percentage availability, median priceand median price ratios, and the number of days' wages needed to purchase medicines by the lowest-paid unskilled government worker. Finally, the results were presented asstatements, tables, figures and graphs.
Results: The mean availability of LPG psychotropic medicines was 24.33% in AddisAbaba (28.7% in the public sector and 19.80% in the private sector), and of OB medicines were 2.42 %( 2% in the private and 2.8% in the public sectors). Similarly, thepublic procurement prices for 16 LPGs ranged from 0.25-4.83 MPRs and the medianprocurement price was 0.96 MPR. The patient prices for the LPGs ranged from 0.52-6.43MPRs in public and 1.08- 24.28 MPRs in private sectors. The patient prices for OBmedicine were 5.21 MPR in public and 11.17 in private sectors. The cost of standardtreatment varied from 0.1–7.8 days' wages in public and 0.8-25 days' in private sectorsfor the lowest-paid government worker to purchase a month's supply.
Conclusions: Essential psychotropic medicines were poorly available with high pricesand low affordability in Addis Ababa. To ensure access, an efficient supply across alllevels of care and financial protection for key medicines should be in place.
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Keywords
Mental disorders, Psychotropic medicines, Availability, Prices, affordability, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia