Private pharmacies as healthcare providers in Odisha, India
Analysis and implications for universal health coverage
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21879419 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Anuska Kalita (0000-0001-9912-7471, Harvard Global Health Institute, corresponding author), Bijetri Bose (0000-0001-6239-7566, Harvard Global Health Institute, corresponding author), Liana Woskie (0000-0002-7451-6849, Tufts University), Annie Haakenstad (0000-0002-7671-964X, University of Washington), Jan E Cooper (0000-0002-2637-9050, Harvard Global Health Institute), Winnie Yip (0000-0002-8168-2669, Harvard Global Health Institute) |
| Year | 2023 |
| Volume | 8 |
| Issue | Suppl 5 |
| Pages | e008903 |
| Publication date | 2023-09-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | BMJ Global Health (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2059-7908 • E-ISSN: 2059-7908 |
| Publisher | BMJ (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1136/bmjgh-2022-008903 |
| PMID | 37778756 |
| OpenAlex | W4387233112 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 5 |
| References cited | 63 |
INTRODUCTION: In 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. METHODS: We 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). RESULTS: 17% 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. CONCLUSION: This 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
Business · Economic growth · Family medicine · Geography · Health care · Political science · Private sector · Public health · Public sector · Antibiotic Use and Resistance · Healthcare Systems and Reforms · Medicine · Nursing · Pharmaceutical Economics and Policy · Pharmacy
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Commentary
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| Unique citing works | 5 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 1.67 |
| Citation span | 2023 - 2026 (4) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 5 |