ArticleBMJ global health2023
Private pharmacies as healthcare providers in Odisha, India: analysis and implications for universal health coverage.
Article in BMJ global health, 2023. 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.
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Who cites it
11 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 13 citations in OpenAlex.
- Older adults' experiences of health seeking in rural areas in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review of qualitative studies.Health policy and planning · 2026Pooled it
- Socioeconomic and geographic inequalities in unmet healthcare needs in Cambodia: evidence from a national cross-sectional study.International journal for equity in health · 2026Article
- Article
- The patterns and determinants of healthcare utilisation of older adults in rural Odisha, India - a cross-sectional study.BMC geriatrics · 2025Article
- Public patient forwarding to private pharmacies: an analysis of data linking patients, facilities and pharmacies in the state of Odisha, India.BMJ global health · 2025Article
- Article
- Feasibility and Impact of Community Pharmacy and Novel Pick-up Points for Antiretroviral Therapy Pre-exposure Prophylaxis Initiation and Continuation in Low and Middle-income Countries.Current HIV/AIDS reports · 2024Review
- Resource shortage in public health facilities and private pharmacy practices in Odisha, India.Health policy and planning · 2024Article
- Genesis of People's Medicine Centre (PMC) for popularisation of generic medicine: A critical qualitative inquiry.Exploratory research in clinical and social pharmacy · 2024Article
- Commentary: Developing technical support and strategic dialogue at the country level to achieve primary health care-based health systems beyond the COVID-19 era.Frontiers in public health · 2023Article
- The pharmacy as a primary care provider.Frontiers in public health · 2023Article
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Authors and funding
6 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
introductionIn India, as in many low-income and middle-income countries, the private sector provides a large share of health care. Pharmacies represent a major share of private care, yet there are few studies on their role as healthcare providers. Our study examines: (1) What are the characteristics of and services provided by private pharmacies and how do these compare with other outpatient care providers? (2) What are the characteristics of patients who opted to use private pharmacies? (3) What are the reasons why people seek healthcare from private pharmacies? (4) What are the quality of services and cost of care for these patients? Based on our findings, we discuss some policy implications for universal health coverage in the Indian context.
methodsWe analyse data from four surveys in Odisha, one of India's poorest states: a household survey on health-seeking behaviours and reasons for healthcare choices (N=7567), a survey of private pharmacies (N=1021), a survey of public sector primary care facilities (N=358), and a survey of private-sector solo-providers (N=684).
results17% of the households seek outpatient care from private pharmacies (similar to rates for public primary-care facilities). 25% of the pharmacies were not registered appropriately under Indian regulations, 90% reported providing medical advice, and 26% reported substituting prescribed drugs. Private pharmacies had longer staffed hours and better stocks of essential drugs than public primary-care facilities. Patients reported choosing private pharmacies because of convenience and better drug stocks; reported higher satisfaction and lower out-of-pocket expenditure with private pharmacies than with other providers.
conclusionThis is the first large-scale study of private pharmacies in India, with a comparison to other healthcare providers and users' perceptions and experiences of their services. To move towards universal health coverage, India, a country with a pluralistic health system, needs a comprehensive health systems approach that incorporates both the public and private sectors, including private pharmacies.
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