AUTHOR=Bibi Murad , Haq Noman Ul , Kareem Abdul , Ullah Habib , Baloch Nizam , Rehman Gulalai , Nasim Aqeel 

TITLE=Evaluation of Availability, Prices, and Affordability of Selected Essential Medicines in Balochistan, Pakistan

JOURNAL=International Journal of Public Health

VOLUME=Volume 67 - 2022

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.ssph-journal.org/journals/international-journal-of-public-health/articles/10.3389/ijph.2022.1604375

DOI=10.3389/ijph.2022.1604375

ISSN=1661-8564

ABSTRACT=Objectives
The study intended to evaluate availability, prices and affordability of selected essential medicines in Balochistan, Pakistan.
Methods
Cross-sectional research conducted in several cities of Balochistan, Pakistan by utilizing WHO / Health Action International (HAI) methodology to assess the availability and cost of Fifty original brand (OB) and lowest-price generic (LPG) drugs. To attain at a median price ratio, the costs of medicines were compared to international reference prices (IRPs). The daily wage of the lowest-paid unskilled government employee was used to determine affordability.
Results
The accessibility of OBs was as low as 9.4% in the public sector, compared to 51.8 percent in private healthcare facilities. Out of 50 medicines, 28 medicines in OB were absolutely not available in public sector. However, it was strange to look into results that less than 24.3% NEML available at public sectors of Balochistan where it supposed to have adequate availability. 
Conclusions
The availability of LPGs in the Government institutes was found to be adequate in this investigation. It revealed good availability of LPGs and OBs in the private sector, but higher patient pricing.