Accessibility crisis of essential medicines at Sudanese primary healthcare facilities: a cross-sectional drugs’ dispensaries assessment and patients’ perspectives

• Published in: International journal for equity in health Vol. 22; no. 1; pp. 1 - 216
• Main Authors: Hemmeda, Lina, Koko, Abubaker E. A, Mohamed, Radia F, Mohammed, Yousra Ibrahim Abdallah, Elabid, Abeer Osman Mukhtar, Omer, Alaa T, Hamida, Amna Abdel Rafea Al Hashemi, Haiba, Aya M, Ali, Eithar M, Abdelgadir, Istabraq I, Al Fanob, Reem M, Almahadi, Saja S. Mohamed, Ali, Sara, Mahgoub, Suzan A. A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London BioMed Central Ltd 17.10.2023; BioMed Central; BMC
• Subjects: Acceptability; Access; Accessibility; Accommodation; Adults; Affordability; Analysis; Availability; Clinics; Confidence intervals; Critical components; Cross-sectional studies; Distribution; Drug stores; Drugs; Essential medicines; Expenditures; Health care; Health care expenditures; Health care facilities; Health care industry; Health care reform; Health facilities; Health insurance; Health insurance industry; Health services; Immunization; Insurance; International economic relations; Management; Medical care, Cost of; Medical research; Medically uninsured persons; Medicine, Experimental; National health insurance; Patients; Pediatrics; Pharmaceuticals; Pharmacy; Physicians; Prices; Primary health care; Primary healthcare services; Public health; Public sector; Sample size; Satisfaction; Storage; Storage conditions; Sudan’s healthcare; Uninsured people; Universal health coverage; South Sudan; Sudan
• ISSN: 1475-9276; 1475-9276
• DOI: 10.1186/s12939-023-02009-y

Access to essential medicines is a critical component of universal health coverage. However, the availability of essential medicines in Sudan isn't well studied. As well, most Sudanese people lack health insurance, making out-of-pocket spending the primary source of drug financing. Therefore, the affordability of medicines in Sudan is questionable, with only 30% of the total population being covered by a public health service or public health insurance. We undertook this study to assess the availability and prices of essential medicines in public-sector health facilities in Khartoum state. Moreover, this study aims at assessing patients' perceived affordability of essential medicines, and accommodation and acceptability of the public facility. A cross-sectional study was carried out at 30 primary healthcare facilities' drug dispensaries across three districts in Khartoum state. Within each Centre's dispensary unit, a standardized checklist evaluated the availability and affordability of 21 essential medicines selected from Sudan's national essential medicines list and assessed their storage conditions. Furthermore, 630 patients were selected from all dispensary units for an exit interview that assessed their perceived accessibility, acceptability, accommodation, and affordability of essential medicines. Data were collected through the Kobo toolbox and analyzed using SPSS version 26.