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. 2022 Dec 16;2(12):e0001309.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pgph.0001309. eCollection 2022.

Availability, affordability and access to essential medications for asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in three low- and middle-income country settings

Trishul Siddharthan  1   2   3 , Nicole M Robertson  3   4 , Natalie A Rykiel  2   3 , Lindsay J Underhill  2   3 , Nihaal Rahman  3 , Sujan Kafle  5 , Sakshi Mohan  6 , Roma Padalkar  7 , Sarah McKeown  8 , Oscar Flores-Flores  8   9 , Shumonta A Quaderi  10 , Patricia Alupo  11 , Robert Kalyesubula  12 , Bruce Kirenga  11 , Jing Luo  13 , Maria Kathia Cárdenas  14 , Gonzalo Gianella  14 , J Jaime Miranda  14   15 , William Checkley  2   3   8 , John R Hurst  10 , Suzanne L Pollard  2   3   8
Affiliations

Availability, affordability and access to essential medications for asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in three low- and middle-income country settings

Trishul Siddharthan et al. PLOS Glob Public Health. .

Abstract

Introduction: Despite the rising burden of chronic respiratory disease globally, and although many respiratory medications are included in the World Health Organization Essential Medications List (WHO-EML), there is limited information concerning the availability and affordability of treatment drugs for respiratory conditions in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).

Methods: All public and private pharmacies in catchment areas of the Global Excellence in COPD outcomes (GECo) study sites in Bhaktapur, Nepal, Lima, Peru, and Nakaseke, Uganda, were approached in 2017-2019 to assess pricing and availability of medications for the management of asthma and COPD.

Results: We surveyed all 63 pharmacies in respective study areas in Nepal (95.2% private), 104 pharmacies in Peru (94.2% private) and 53 pharmacies in Uganda (98.1% private). The availability of any medication for respiratory disease was higher in private (93.3%) compared to public (73.3%) pharmacies. Salbutamol (WHO-EML) monotherapy in any formulation was the most commonly available respiratory medication among the three sites (93.7% Nepal, 86.5% Peru and 79.2% Uganda) while beclomethasone (WHO-EML) was only available in Peru (33.7%) and Nepal (22%). LABA-LAMA combination therapy was only available in Nepal (14.3% of pharmacies surveyed). The monthly treatment cost of respiratory medications was lowest in Nepal according to several cost metrics: the overall monthly cost, the median price ratio comparing medication costs to international reference prices at time of survey in dollars, and in terms of days' wages of the lowest-paid government worker. For the treatment of intermittent asthma, defined as 100 mcg Salbutamol/Albuterol inhaler, days' wages ranged from 0.47 days in Nepal and Peru to 3.33 days in Uganda.

Conclusion: The availability and pricing of respiratory medications varied across LMIC settings, with medications for acute care of respiratory diseases being more widely available than those for long-term management.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Fig 1
Fig 1. Pharmacy locations in Bhaktapur, Nepal, Lima, Peru, and Nakaseke, Uganda.
All pharmacies surveyed within study catchment areas as indicated by GPS including road networks. OpenStreetMap contributors. (2019) Data Extracts. Retrieved from https://planet.openstreetmap.org. Global Administrative Areas. (2021) GADM database. Retrieved from https://gadm.org/data.html.
Fig 2
Fig 2. Percent availability of respiratory medicine stratified by medication category.
Percent availability compared across sites by medication category. Note LAMAs, Antibiotics and Xanthines not surveyed in Peru.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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