Abstract
Introduction:Access is a key concept in the context of healthcare policy, which requires effective definition and application. Experts define "access" as a patient's capacity or willingness to utilize or enter the healthcare system; these are the variables that some refer to as influencing access. Access is fundamental in studying health services and healthcare policy (The National Medicines Policy 2014).
Pharmaceutical policy is broad and covers various topics, encompassing pharmacy services, licensing, pricing, formulary management, pharmacoeconomics, availability, and the price of medications; additionally, it covers responsible drug use. The population of Saudi Arabia was about 36 million as of March 2022 and is expected to reach about 77 million by 2050. Some of the main problems affecting Saudi Arabia's healthcare system are the increasing prevalence of chronic illnesses, growing healthcare expenses, and inadequate delivery and governance of healthcare services. In line with the 2030 national vision, the Saudi government has developed a healthcare revolution to address these problems. The main objective of this strategy is to promote public-private partnerships to commercialize healthcare. The Saudi Ministry of Health (MOH) has signed a contract with community pharmacies to handle the procurement, storage, dispensing, and distribution of all medications as part of the Wasfaty program.
Rational of the Research:
Lack of a thorough and detailed review of the literature on access to medicines within Saudi Arabia. A scoping review of the Literature (Ahmer et al. 2023) identified gaps in the available literature
Access to medicines is an ongoing challenge even for developed countries, including the UK (Sjaak Vink 2018)
Results and Conclusions:
This PhD project study started with conducting a scoping review of the literature. A total of 19 original research articles were included based on their relevance. The data extracted from the 19 articles produced fundamental themes. These included finance for cancer drugs, Pharmacoeconomics, access to medicines, and generic medicines. The main subjects were financing cancer medications, pharmacoeconomics, drug availability and shortages, and generic medicine.
Most of the published research in our scoping review demonstrated physicians and pharmacists' insufficient and ineffective knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours regarding a wide range of patient-centred care services. The stakeholders discovered gaps in the MOH policies controlling the supply of medications, administrative, technical, and social hurdles, as well as an inadequate level of high-quality professional development and training programs for physicians and pharmacists in the findings of the qualitative study. The cross-sectional survey results validated the findings, focusing on national-level programs for doctors and pharmacists' skills and knowledge development, expanding local pharmaceutical manufacturing, and improving stakeholder management of administrative and technical challenges. Furthermore, utilising both qualitative and quantitative data, a multifactorial strategy is needed to streamline Saudi Arabia's pharmaceutical policy framework and ensure uniform access to medicines based on the examples of contemporary nations.
This PhD research broadens the researcher's knowledge and comprehension of pharmaceutical policy and access to medicines in Saudi Arabia using various methodologies. This study is the first of its kind in Saudi Arabia and has generated a thorough examination of the data supporting improvements in medication access and pharmaceutical policy. It has also outlined the process's motivators, enablers, and drivers and the obstacles that must be overcome for change to be effective.
| Date of Award | 1 May 2024 |
|---|---|
| Original language | English |
| Supervisor | Shahzad Hasan (Main Supervisor) |