Dataset Information

Identifying the most effective essential medicines policies for quality use of medicines: A replicability study using three World Health Organisation data-sets.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Poor quality use of medicines (QUM) has adverse outcomes. Governments' implementation of essential medicines (EM) policies is often suboptimal and there is limited information on which policies are most effective.

Methods

We analysed data on policy implementation from World Health Organisation (WHO) surveys in 2007 and 2011, and QUM data from surveys during 2006-2012 in developing and transitional countries. We compared QUM scores in countries that did or did not implement specific policies and regressed QUM composite scores on the numbers of policies implemented. We compared the ranking of policies in this and two previous studies, one from the same WHO databases (2003-2007) the other from data obtained during country visits in South-East Asia (2010-2015). The rankings of a common set of 17 policies were correlated and we identified those that were consistently highly ranked.

Findings

Fifty-three countries had data on both QUM and policy implementation. Forty policies were associated with effect sizes ranging from +13% to -5%. There was positive correlation between the composite QUM indicator and the number of policies reported implemented: (r) = 0.437 (95% CI 0.188 to 0.632). Comparison of policy rankings between the present and previous studies showed positive correlation with the WHO 2003-7 study: Spearman's rank correlation coefficient 0.498 (95% CI 0.022 to 0.789). Across the three studies, five policies were in the top five ranked positions 11 out of a possible 15 times: drugs available free at the point of care; a government QUM unit; undergraduate training of prescribers in standard treatment guidelines, antibiotics not available without prescription and generic substitution in the public sector.

Interpretation

Certain EM policies are associated with better QUM and impact increases with co-implementation. Analysis across three datasets provides a policy short-list as a minimum investment by countries trying to improve QUM and reduce antimicrobial drug misuse.

SUBMITTER: Holloway KA

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7004360 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Identifying the most effective essential medicines policies for quality use of medicines: A replicability study using three World Health Organisation data-sets.

Holloway Kathleen Anne KA Ivanovska Verica V Manikandan Solaiappan S Jayanthi Mathaiyan M Mohan Anbarasan A Forte Gilles G Henry David D

PloS one 20200206 2

<h4>Background</h4>Poor quality use of medicines (QUM) has adverse outcomes. Governments' implementation of essential medicines (EM) policies is often suboptimal and there is limited information on which policies are most effective.<h4>Methods</h4>We analysed data on policy implementation from World Health Organisation (WHO) surveys in 2007 and 2011, and QUM data from surveys during 2006-2012 in developing and transitional countries. We compared QUM scores in countries that did or did not implem ...[more]

PMID: 32027679

Similar Datasets

Project description:BackgroundInappropriate overuse of antibiotics contributes to antimicrobial resistance (AMR), yet policy implementation to reduce inappropriate antibiotic use is poor in low and middle-income countries.AimsTo determine whether public sector inappropriate antibiotic use is lower in countries reporting implementation of selected essential medicines policies.Materials and methodsResults from independently conducted antibiotic use surveys in countries that did, and did not report implementation of policies to reduce inappropriate antibiotic prescribing, were compared. Survey data on four validated indicators of inappropriate antibiotic use and 16 self-reported policy implementation variables from WHO databases were extracted. The average difference for indicators between countries reporting versus not reporting implementation of specific policies was calculated. For 16 selected policies we regressed the four antibiotic use variables on the numbers of policies the countries reported implementing.ResultsData were available for 55 countries. Of 16 policies studied, four (having a national Ministry of Health unit on promoting rational use of medicines, a national drug information centre and provincial and hospital drugs and therapeutics committees) were associated with statistically significant reductions in antibiotic use of ≥20% in upper respiratory infection (URTI). A national strategy to contain antibiotic resistance was associated with a 30% reduction in use of antibiotics in acute diarrheal illness. Policies seemed to be associated with greater effects in antibiotic use for URTI and diarrhea compared with antibiotic use in all patients. There were negative correlations between the numbers of policies reported implemented and the percentage of acute diarrhoea cases treated with antibiotics (r = -0.484, p = 0.007) and the percentage of URTI cases treated with antibiotics (r = -0.472, p = 0.005). Major study limitations were the reliance on self-reported policy implementation data and antibiotic use data from linited surveys.ConclusionsSelected essential medicines policies were associated with lower antibiotic use in low and middle income countries.

Project description:BackgroundSuboptimal medicine use is a global public health problem. For 35 years the World Health Organization (WHO) has promoted essential medicines policies to improve quality use of medicines (QUM), but evidence of their effectiveness is lacking, and uptake by countries remains low. Our objective was to determine whether WHO essential medicines policies are associated with better QUM.Methods and findingsWe compared results from independently conducted medicines use surveys in countries that did versus did not report implementation of WHO essential medicines policies. We extracted survey data on ten validated QUM indicators and 36 self-reported policy implementation variables from WHO databases for 2002-2008. We calculated the average difference (as percent) for the QUM indicators between countries reporting versus not reporting implementation of specific policies. Policies associated with positive effects were included in a regression of a composite QUM score on total numbers of implemented policies. Data were available for 56 countries. Twenty-seven policies were associated with better use of at least two percentage points. Eighteen policies were associated with significantly better use (unadjusted p<0.05), of which four were associated with positive differences of 10% or more: undergraduate training of doctors in standard treatment guidelines, undergraduate training of nurses in standard treatment guidelines, the ministry of health having a unit promoting rational use of medicines, and provision of essential medicines free at point of care to all patients. In regression analyses national wealth was positively associated with the composite QUM score and the number of policies reported as being implemented in that country. There was a positive correlation between the number of policies (out of the 27 policies with an effect size of 2% or more) that countries reported implementing and the composite QUM score (r=0.39, 95% CI 0.14 to 0.59, p=0.003). This correlation weakened but remained significant after inclusion of national wealth in multiple linear regression analyses. Multiple policies were more strongly associated with the QUM score in the 28 countries with gross national income per capita below the median value (US$2,333) (r=0.43, 95% CI 0.06 to 0.69, p=0.023) than in the 28 countries with values above the median (r=0.22, 95% CI -0.15 to 0.56, p=0.261). The main limitations of the study are the reliance on self-report of policy implementation and measures of medicine use from small surveys. While the data can be used to explore the association of essential medicines policies with medicine use, they cannot be used to compare or benchmark individual country performance.ConclusionsWHO essential medicines policies are associated with improved QUM, particularly in low-income countries. Please see later in the article for the Editors' Summary.

Project description:The implementation of high-quality guidelines is essential to improve clinical practice and public health. The World Health Organisation (WHO) develops evidence-based public health and other guidelines that are used or adapted by countries around the world. Detailed implementation plans are often necessary for local policymakers to properly use the guidelines developed by WHO. This paper describes the plans for guideline implementation reported in WHO guidelines and indicates which of these plans are evidence-based.We conducted a content analysis of the implementation sections of WHO guidelines approved by the WHO guideline review committee between December 2007 and May 2015. The implementation techniques reported in each guideline were coded according to the Cochrane Collaboration's Effective Practice and Organisation of Care (EPOC) taxonomy and classified as passive, active or policy strategies. The frequencies of implementation techniques are reported.The WHO guidelines (n = 123) analysed mentioned implementation techniques 800 times, although most mentioned implementation techniques very briefly, if at all. Passive strategies (21 %, 167/800) and general policy strategies (62 %, 496/800) occurred most often. Evidence-based active implementation methods were generally neglected with no guideline mentioning reminders (computerised or paper) and only one mentioning a multifaceted approach. Many guidelines contained implementation sections that were identical to those used in older guidelines produced by the same WHO technical unit.The prevalence of passive and policy-based implementation techniques as opposed to evidence-based active techniques suggests that WHO guidelines should contain stronger guidance for implementation. This could include structured and increased detail on implementation considerations, accompanying or linked documents that provide information on what is needed to contextualise or adapt a guideline and specific options from among evidence-based implementation strategies.

Project description:ObjectivesTo characterize the trends, drivers, and potential modifiers of increased spending by US Medicare beneficiaries on medicines deemed essential by the World Health Organization.DesignRetrospective cost analysis of Medicare Part D Prescriber Public Use File, detailing annual generic and brand name drug prescribing and spending from 2011 through 2015 by Medicare Part D participants who filled prescriptions for WHO essential medicines.SettingUS Medicare System.Main outcome measuresTotal and per beneficiary Medicare spending, total and per beneficiary out-of-pocket patient spending, cumulative beneficiary count, claim count, and per unit drug cost. All spending measures were adjusted for inflation and reported in 2015 US dollars.ResultsMedicare Part D expenditures on 265 WHO essential medicines between 2011 and 2015 was $87.2bn (£68.4bn; €76.5bn), with annual spending increasing from $11.9bn in 2011 to $25.8bn in 2015 (116%). Patients' out-of-pocket spending for essential medicines over the same period was $12.1bn. Total annual out-of-pocket spending increased from $2.0bn to $2.9bn (47%), and annual per beneficiary out-of-pocket spending on these drugs increased from $20.42 to $21.17 (4%). Total prescription count increased from 376.1m to 498.9m (33%), and cumulative beneficiary count grew from 95.9m to 135.8m (42%). Of the essential medicines included in the study, the per unit cost of 133 (50%) agents increased faster than the average inflation rate during this period. Overall, approximately 58% of the increase in total spending during this period can be attributed to the introduction of novel agents.ConclusionsSpending associated with essential medicines grew substantially from 2011 to 2015, driven largely by the increased use of two expensive novel drugs used in treating hepatitis C. Approximately 22% of increased total spending during this period can be attributed to increases in per unit cost of existing drugs. These trends may limit patients' access to essential drugs while also increasing healthcare system costs.

Project description:BackgroundNon-communicable diseases (NCDs) are the leading cause of death worldwide. Inadequate and inequitable access to essential NCD medicines is a major concern, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. National Essential Medicines Lists (EMLs) are important policy tools that indicate which medicines are prioritized as essential within a country's health system. This study sought to analyze a wide range of national essential medicines lists (EMLs) for their inclusion of priority non communicable disease (NCD) interventions recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO).MethodsThree lists of WHO endorsed priority NCD interventions were included. A database with 137 national EMLs and the WHO EML was created from the WHO Repository and these EMLs were compared for listing of priority NCD interventions.ResultsAcross 137 countries with national EMLs, the median percentage of 20 Best Buys interventions listed was 90% (IQR 80-95) and 31 Package of essential noncommunicable disease interventions (PEN) interventions listed was 94% (IQR 90-97), of 9 HEARTS interventions was 100% (IQR 89-100), and of the 43 unique interventions across the three priority lists was 88% (IQR 84-93). Less than 80% of the 43 interventions were listed by 22 (16%) countries and less than half of the interventions were listed by 2 countries: Angola (35%) and Cambodia (23%). Interventions listed on the fewest number of national EMLs were: influenza vaccine, HPV vaccine, hepatitis B vaccine, cervical cancer chemotherapy, codeine, promethazine, senna, and oxygen.ConclusionMost NCD interventions have been prioritized in national policy in most cases. The majority of priority medicines for NCDs described within key WHO NCD technical packages are listed on nearly all national EMLs across 137 countries of all income levels. Most NCD interventions have been prioritized in national policy in most cases, but in some countries and for select interventions such as the HPV vaccine, prioritization may be reviewed.

Dataset Information

Identifying the most effective essential medicines policies for quality use of medicines: A replicability study using three World Health Organisation data-sets.

Background

Methods

Findings

Interpretation

Publications

Identifying the most effective essential medicines policies for quality use of medicines: A replicability study using three World Health Organisation data-sets.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

Tweets