ReviewJournal of pharmaceutical policy and practice2025
Voluntary information and price sharing database - a scoping review of the pricing and procurement landscape across eight Commonwealth Member States.
Review in Journal of pharmaceutical policy and practice, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
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.
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.
Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
- Factors associated with contraceptive use among reproductive-age women during a pandemic: Evidence from a small developing state.PLOS global public health · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
12 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Background: The Commonwealth Health Ministers' meetings (2021-2023) identified medicines shortages, pricing, and price transparency as critical issues. This led to the establishment of the Voluntary Information and Price Sharing Database (VIPSD) in 2021, aimed at enhancing procurement transparency, reducing costs, and sharing information on health products amongst member states. However, adoption has been limited due to competing initiatives like pooled procurement systems introduced during the pandemic. Methods: This scoping review focused on eight Commonwealth countries: Bangladesh, Dominica, Kenya, Malaysia, Malta, Solomon Islands, South Africa, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Nations were selected to represent diverse health systems, population sizes, and procurement practices. External researchers conducted literature reviews and standardised data collection to ensure consistency. Results: The review revealed varied pricing policies and procurement frameworks. Nations like Malta, Bangladesh, Malaysia, and South Africa had pharmaceutical policies ensuring affordability, while others lacked comprehensive pricing policies. Seven countries implemented pooled procurement programmes, enhancing value and reducing costs; three nations operated national health insurance schemes affecting medicine pricing. Five countries used pharmaceutical management information systems to streamline procurement. Despite these efforts, disparities persist due to fragmented frameworks, stock-outs, budget constraints, and delayed procurement processes. Conclusion: The VIPSD was identified as a potentially transformative tool to enhance transparency, promote fair pricing, improve collaboration, and ensure equitable access to innovative health products. To maximise its impact, the database requires clear scope definition, comprehensive data collection, funding, and robust maintenance. Expanding its adoption could help mitigate price disparities and strengthen medicine accessibility across Commonwealth member states.
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Registered trials
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.