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Table 4 Summary ranking scores for current policies, desired policies, current research, and desired research

From: Stakeholders’ perspectives on access-to-medicines policy and research priorities in Latin America and the Caribbean: face-to-face and web-based interviews

Item codes*

WHO Framework domain

Current policies

Desired policies

Current research

Desired research

Items (policy or research topics)

 

Rational Selection and Use of Medicines

    

1f

Clinical treatment guidelines, and essential medicines list: development; incentives for implementation; operational mechanisms; standardization (including between private and public sectors)

17.7

12.4

9.8

9.8

1i

Pharmacovigilance, information on adverse drug reaction, and other problems related to medicines

10.1

8.0

6.9

7.6

1e

Staff capacity for rational prescription and use of medicines; training curriculum

7.1

11.5

3.0

9.3

1d

Impact of advertisements on medicines; incentives (or lack of, leading to private or dual practice); medicines becoming a source in financing for health services

3.3

7.3

5.1

7.0

 

Pricing/Affordability

    

2g

Policy and regulation for medicines price

11.4

10.9

5.7

9.4

2f

Impact of prices on access

8.2

8.0

8.3

11.0

2a

High out-of-pocket payment

7.6

9.1

5.3

8.8

2l

Budget allocation to health

9.4

6.0

4.6

4.3

2i

Patents and intellectual property issues

6.4

3.9

7.1

5.6

 

Reliable Health System/Health System Structure

    

3j

Availability of medicines (especially in public sector)

8.8

6.3

8.3

7.2

3a

Geographical accessibility: physical barriers; distance to facilities; remoteness (combination of physical barriers and infrastructure weakness)

10.2

8.8

3.9

6.6

3k

Quality assurance

6.8

6.8

4.0

8.6

3b

Distribution systems and supply chains

8.5

7.9

3.9

5.3

3f

Staff and technical capacity: for supply management; with managerial, interpersonal and information technology (IT) skills, with local language skills (English)

5.1

6.8

1.8

5.3

3c

Pharmaceutical services at local level

4.7

4.3

4.0

2.4

 

Sustainable Financing

    

4m

Budget allocation to health

10.7

10.7

7.2

8.7

4e

Health insurance coverage and models

9.4

10.7

7.4

8.9

4f

Government budgets for medicines

10.8

11.0

5.4

7.8

4h

Cost containment policies

6.9

9.1

5.1

10.4

  1. *Item codes reflect the order in which they appear in the questionnaire. Top three summary scores in each domain marked in bold numbers.
  2. Source: Authors.