Essential Medicines in Mexico - Essay Example

"Essential Medicines in Mexico" is an outstanding example of a paper on the health system. Essential medicines, according to the WHO, are drugs that gratify the health care needs of the greater part of a region’s population. These drugs should be readily available, in enough proportions and inappropriate forms of dosage (Johnson & Stoskopf, 2010). The essential medicines in Mexico are analgesics, anesthetics, cardiology medicines, hematological medicines, obstetrical medicines, intoxicants, neurological medicines, nutritional medicine, and ophthalmological medicines among others. The essential medicines manufactured locally range from biotechnological medicines. Those that are imported include medicines for lung infections and safe medicines for colds and flu (Garman, Johnson & Royer, 2011). Mexico manufactures some of its medicines and imports others. Women are entitled to obstetrical and medical attention, infant care services, nursing aid, and medicines. People belonging to a worker’s family are entitled to medicines and medical attention.

What is the role of the government in providing access to essential medicines?

            The role of the government in providing access to essential medicine is to oversee the availability and supply of essential medicines to the population. The government is also supposed to approve the list of essential medicines that should be sent to the World Health Organization (Garman, Johnson & Royer, 2011). The government should regulate the prices of all essential medicines and ensure that they are affordable to its citizens at all times. The role of the government can be viewed in the light of standard-setting and overall regulatory functions. The government should regulate and set standards for all stakeholders in the health care sector, both in the private and public sectors. The government should purchase essential drugs on behalf of poor populations (Johnson & Stoskopf, 2010). The regulatory roles revolve around taxes, local distribution costs, and tariffs. Governments are also required to refer to and implement WHO recommendations when it comes to making essential medicines readily available and affordable. Governments are required to form national drug policies that help them in regulating the drug industry.

What is the role of the private sector in providing access to essential medicines?

            The role of the private sector in providing access to essential medicines does not differ greatly from that of the government. The private sector has been identifying frameworks for the access and distribution of essential medicines. Organizations such as the WHO and various UN agencies such as UNAIDS have been at the forefront in this matter (Garman, Johnson & Royer, 2011). The private sector also works as a watchdog to the government by ensuring that the government fulfills its role in making essential drugs readily available and affordable. The private sector also helps in making essential medicines available by providing aid, mostly financial, to oversee the availability and distribution of essential medicines (Johnson & Stoskopf, 2010). The private sector assists the government in the optimization of pharmaceutical resources. The private sector also assists in the manufacture of some essential medicines. This is because many manufacturers are from the private sector. They manufacture these medicines as their source of income (Garman, Johnson & Royer, 2011).

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