Evidence map›Paper›PMID 31816074›Full record

ArticleHealth policy and planning2019

Access to essential cardiovascular medicines for children: a pilot study of availability, price and affordability in Nigeria.

Ebiowei S F Orubu, Faith O Robert, Mercy Samuel, Daniel Megbule

Open access · hybridAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Health policy and planning, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 11 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
11citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
3.3field-weighted citation impact, top 6% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

11 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 16 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Ebiowei S F OrubuDepartment of Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Niger Delta University, Wilberforce Island, Bayelsa State, Nigeria.
Faith O RobertDepartment of Biochemistry, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, Niger Delta University, Wilberforce Island, Bayelsa State, Nigeria.
Mercy SamuelDepartment of Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Niger Delta University, Wilberforce Island, Bayelsa State, Nigeria.
Daniel MegbuleDepartment of Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Niger Delta University, Wilberforce Island, Bayelsa State, Nigeria.
Niger Delta University · NG

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Policies to improve access to medicines for children in low- and middle-income countries, such as Nigeria, should consider the growing threat of non-communicable diseases. The aim of this pilot study was to scope availability, price and affordability of essential cardiovascular medicines for children in selected states in Nigeria. The study was a descriptive longitudinal survey conducted in three phases. Availability was determined as percentage of facilities having the medicine on the survey date. Medicines with good availability (>80%) were noted. Prices were cross-referenced against international Reference Prices and the Nigerian National Health Insurance Scheme Prices. Affordability was calculated using the Least-Paid Government Worker method. For medicines compounded to improve availability, a model for calculating affordability was proposed. In Phase I, the availability of all 17 strengths of the cardiovascular medicines or diuretics listed in the Essential Medicines List for Children (2015) were surveyed in two conveniently selected states using the WHO/HAI questionnaire. Data were collected from 17 hospitals and pharmacies. Phases II and III focused on tablet formulations (enalapril, furosemide, hydrochlorothiazide and spironolactone) in three purposively selected state capitals: Lagos, Abuja and Yenagoa. In Phase II, 11 private pharmacies were surveyed in December 2016: Phase III tracked price changes in Abuja and Yenagoa in August 2018. Only furosemide and hydrochlorothiazide tablets had good availability. Oral liquids were unavailable. Prices for four generic oral tablets were 2-16× higher than the International Reference Prices; prices for two of these did not change significantly over the study period. Affordable medicines were generic furosemide and hydrochlorothiazide tablet. Where a fee is charged, compounded medicines were also not affordable. While the small sample sizes limit generalization, this study provides indicative data suggesting that prices for cardiovascular medicines remain high and potentially unaffordable in the private sector in these selected states, and when compounded. Regular systematic access surveys are needed.

Indexed as

Cardiovascular AgentsChildCosts and Cost AnalysisDrug CompoundingDrugs, EssentialDrugs, GenericHumansNigeriaPharmaciesPilot ProjectsPrivate SectorSurveys and QuestionnairesCardiovascular AgentsDrugs, EssentialDrugs, GenericAccesscardiovascular medicineschildrenessential medicinesNigeria

Identifiers

PMID31816074
PMCPMC6901068
OpenAlexW2995419202

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.