Measuring Medicines Prices
Since 2001, DPM faculty members have provided technical support to the World Health Organization and Health Action International in the development of a systematic approach to collecting data on the availability and prices of medicines in low and middle income countries. The standardized survey methodology covers sample design, procedures for collecting data during field visits to the public and private sector pharmacy outlets, data entry and analysis of price data in an electronic workbook, and interpretation and presentation of results. The WHO-HAI Project disseminates this methodology and provides public access to data from completed surveys. In addition, the Project has developed a series of reviews on broad pharmaceutical policy options to achieve more affordable prices.
Dr. Dennis Ross-Degnan is a member of the Project’s Technical Advisory Group and leads DPM’s involvement in the Project. Dr. Jeanne Madden has contributed to inter-country reliability analyses and a field study validating the Project’s survey methodology, while Dr. Catherine Vialle-Valentin currently works on extending the methodology to studies of local production and routine price monitoring. Drs. Laura Garabedian and Anita Wagner have collaborated with Drs. Ross-Degnan and Vialle-Valentin on a commissioned review of evidence about approaches to improving access to and affordability of medicines in insurance systems in low and middle income countries.
Related Publications
Ewen M, Al Sakit M, Saadeh R, Vialle-Valentin C, Saita A. UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East’s medicine procurement processes and prices: a comparative performance assessment. Lancet 2012 Oct; 380: S15.
Faden L, Vialle-Valentin C, Ross-Degnan D, Wagner A. Active pharmaceutical management strategies of health insurance systems to improve cost-effective use of medicines in low- and middle-income countries: A systematic review of current evidence. Health Policy. 2011 May; 100 (2-3) :134-43. PMID:21185616.
Faden L, Vialle-Valentin C, Ross-Degnan D, Wagner A. Review Series on Pharmaceutical Pricing Policies and Interventions: Working Paper 2: The Role of Health Insurance in the Cost-Effective Use of Medicines. WHO/HAI 2011.
Madden JM, Meza E, Ewen M, Laing RO, Stephens P, Ross-Degnan D. Measuring medicine prices in Peru: validation of key aspects of WHO/HAI survey methodology. Rev Panam Salud Publica. 2010 Apr; 27 (4) :291-9. PMID:20512232. Erratum in: Rev Panam Salud Publica. 2010 Jun;27(6):472. PubMed PMID: 20512232
Cameron A, Ewen M, Ross-Degnan D, Ball D, Laing R. Medicine prices, availability, and affordability in 36 developing and middle-income countries: a secondary analysis. Lancet. 2009 Jan 17; 373 (9659) :240-9. PMID:19042012.
World Health Organization and Health Action International. Measuring medicine prices, availability, affordability and price components 2nd edition. (WHO/PSM/PAR/2008.3) Geneva; World Health Organization: 2008.
World Health Organization and Health Action International Project Advisory Group. Medicine prices: A new approach to measurement. (WHO/EDM/PAR/2003.2) Geneva; World Health Organization: 2003.
Related Resources
Survey methodology and associated tools: World Health Organization and Health Action International. Measuring medicine prices, availability, affordability and price components 2nd edition. (WHO/PSM/PAR/2008.3) Geneva; World Health Organization: 2008
List of project publications and policy documents
Related Links
Measuring Medicines Prices Project Health Action International Home Page
Measuring Medicines Prices Project World Health Organization Page
Principal Investigator: Dennis Ross-Degnan
Funders of the WHO-HAI Project have included: Rockefeller Foundation, Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the UK Department for International Development