Access to Essential Medicines - Essay Example

 Factors that influenced essential medicines access in Mexico The access of essential medicines in Mexico was rated amongst the poor in the period before the introduction of healthcare coverage, considering that essential medicines were not easily accessible, especially to the poor citizens. The issue of accessibility is fundamentally a function of the availability, and the cost of medicine, which then determines how the population within a country is able to access the medicines. In Mexico, the general prices of drugs were higher, compared to many other developed countries (Wirtz, 2008). Compared to France and USA, an individual with an average income was able to purchase more drugs using the salary, than an individual with an equal amount of salary, but residing in Mexico. Availability was yet another factor that affected the access of essential in medicines in Mexico, since the rate of stock-outs for essential drugs was high in this country, especially in the rural areas and other low-income regions (Johnson & Stoskopf, 2010). The public health centers situated in the rural areas and the low-income regions were especially affected by essential medicines stock outs, due to the high number of individuals seeking medical care in these facilities, following the subsidization of the health services in the public health facilities. The other major factor that influenced essential medicines access in Mexico was inequity, with the people from lower income groups spending proportionally much higher in the purchase of essential medicines than those with higher incomes. This was caused by the inequality in drug distribution by the government agencies, where the regions with high poverty index received the least amount of free drugs from the government (Garman, Johnson & Royer, 2011). However, after the universal health care in Mexico was made fully operational in 2012, the access to essential medicines has improved, with other countries such as the USA and those in Latin America accessing essential drugs from Mexico (Pharmaceutical technology, 2013). Essential medicines manufactured locally, and the ones imported to Mexico Mexico manufactures almost all categories of the essential medicines need in the country, locally. There are a variety of essential medicines that are manufactured in Mexico, which also eventually find way to other countries such as the neighboring USA and Latin America, due to the low cost of such medicines in Mexico. The essential medicines manufactured locally include anesthetics, which represents the category of medicines that are essential for any healthcare facility, applied to suppress pain in patients, to enable the doctors perform other medical procedures such as injections (Johnson & Stoskopf, 2010). Another category of essential drugs manufactured in Mexico are the antibacterial, Antifungal and antiviral, which are a major category of essential medicines, due to the variety of the diseases and illnesses that they are used to treat. This category of essential medicines are the most medicines manufactured in Mexico, considering that they are mostly applied in treating the most common diseases, and are therefore very necessary for all health facilities to have sufficient stocks, considering that they are also prescription drugs, which are consumed in large quantities (Estern Medical Research, 2008). Vaccines are also another category of essential medicines that are manufactured locally in Mexico, since they represent a category of essential medicines that is made especially for children, which are also necessary for all health facilities to have, and which are also consumed regularly. Antiretroviral are also manufactured locally in Mexico, which are then applied in the suppression of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), considering that they are another category of free medicines offered by the government to its citizens (Estern Medical Research, 2008). Nevertheless, there is a huge deficit in the Mexican pharmaceutical industry, with Mexico importing $1.3 billion in 2010, but mainly not in form of essential medicine, but medical equipment and other disposables (Estern Medical Research, 2008). The role of government in providing access to essential medicines The government plays a very pivotal role in providing access to essential medicines in Mexico. The Mexican government has established a very effective patent system, which creates a very favorable environment for the pharmaceuticals to launch new medicines in the country (Garman, Johnson & Royer, 2011). The policy environment for pharmaceutical industry players has also been made effective by the government, which enables the pharmaceutical industry to import the relevant equipment, raw materials and disposables, which them makes it efficient to provide essential medicines to the public health facilities, that are supplied by the government (Negocosis, 2013). The suitable policy environment has made it possible for Mexico to increase its export of pharmaceutical products to the USA by a massive 78%, from 1992 to 2002 (Negocosis, 2013). The government also has the obligation to ensure that essential medicines are available within its borders, to ensure that health facilities, especially the public ones which are supported by the government do not fall in short of essential medicines (Johnson & Stoskopf, 2010). This way, the Mexican government has been regulating the production of essential medicines locally, as well as the exports and importation of pharmaceutical products, to ensure that the essential medicines are adequately supplied to health facilities. Additionally, the Mexican government is involved in the price regulation and the regulation of tariffs for pharmaceutical industry, as well as licensing and taxation of the pharmaceutical players, to ensure that the essential medicines are not only available to the health facilities, but that they are also affordable (Garman, Johnson & Royer, 2011). The government in Mexico also plays a vital role in providing essential medicines, through the enactment of a legal framework that has illegalized arbitrary purchases of drugs, thus requiring that any drugs purchase need to be under a doctor’s prescription. This way, it enhances the effective access of essential medicines by the people (Negocosis, 2013). The government has also played an important role in enhancing the provision of essential medicines, through the formation of government agencies such as the Pharmaceutical Industry National Chamber (CANIFARMA), which promotes the development of new products, to make up for the existing gap in the essential medicines productions (Estern Medical Research, 2008). The government also creates an enabling environment in the pharmaceutical industry, to attract FDIs from other countries, which in turn enhances the provision of essential medicine in the country. The role of private sectors in providing access to essential medicines The private sector is yet another major contributor to the provision of essential medicines in Mexico, through a network of investments in the pharmaceutical industry, as well as the health sector. The private sector in Mexico has attracted a high percentage of Foreign Direct Investment into the pharmaceutical industry, accounting for 60% of the total FDI in the this industry in Mexico (Eastern Medical, 2008). The foreign multinational companies are greatly involved in the Mexican pharmaceutical industry, owing to the patent laws that gives the companies an exclusive right to implement the production of a pharmaceutical product, even where the product was not discovered in Mexico (Eastern Medical, 2008). This being the case, many such private sector companies have been greatly involved in the production and supply of essential medicines in Mexico. According to the statistics released by the National Association of drug Manufacturers (ANAFAM), Mexico had attracted over 600 specialized companies in the pharmaceutical industry, which have created over 80,000 jobs and are responsible for Mexico ranking as the highest exporter of pharmaceutical products to Latin America in 2012 (Negocosis, 2013). The healthcare system in Mexico also comprises of the private healthcare institutions as well as the private physicians, who are involved in the provision of healthcare services to the Mexican people. Considering that the private healthcare services covers a substantial percentage of the Mexican population, especially those who can afford to pay for the private services, the private sector plays a vital role in providing essential medicines to such populations. Partnerships and collaborations have been made to improve access to essential medicines in Mexico The healthcare system and the pharmaceutical industry in Mexico are characterized by various forms of partnership, which has made it possible for the country to be able to provide a healthcare system that covers all its citizens (Johnson & Stoskopf, 2010). The partnerships are in form of government-to-Non-governmental organization relationships, where the government collaborates with the private sector to provide healthcare services to the people of Mexico. The partnership between the government and the non-governmental organizations is in the form of funding various projects, which makes it possible for individuals, especially those in the rural areas and in the low income category, to access healthcare services and essential medicines. Another form of partnership that has made it easier and possible for the people to access essential medicine is the private sector-to-government partnership, which has been established in the form of policy environment and subsidies. The partnership between the government and the private sector has made it possible for many Multi-national Corporations to invest in Mexican pharmaceutical industry, since the companies are granted patents, and thus the exclusive rights to manufacture pharmaceutical products in the country, even where the companies did not make such discoveries in Mexico (Eastern Medical, 2008). It is through the government partnering with the private sector, that the country has been able to produce substantial quantities of essential medicines, which are virtually adequate to virtually cover the needs of the whole country’s population, and produce much more for export to other countries such as the USA and other countries in Latin America. Role of the United States in providing essential medicines The United States has played a great role in the provision of essential medicine in Mexico. For example, in the year 2002, the USA firms exported pharmaceutical products worth $748 million to Mexico (Negocosis, 2013). The Mexican pharmaceutical industry has grown immensely since 1999, accounting to 200% growth in the industry up to 2006 (Pharmaceutical technology, 2013). This growth has been consistent, since in the period between 2007 and 2009, the pharmaceutical industry in Mexico grew by 14%, creating an industry that was worth $13.4 billion by 2012 (Pharmaceutical technology, 2013). However, the most important thing, is to realize that the growth has to a large extent been inspired by the USA, with the USA firms contributing to 31% of the total Foreign Direct Investment in the Mexican pharmaceutical industry, by 2008 (Eastern Medical, 2008). It is this investment that has made it possible for Mexico to continue with the production of essential medicines, both for local use and also for exports. Another aspect of the USA contribution to Mexico’s provision of essential medicine to its citizens is through the export of medicines and other pharmaceutical products, as well as equipments and disposables, which are then absorbed into the Mexican healthcare system, for the provision of healthcare service to the Mexican people (Johnson & Stoskopf, 2010). Therefore, the USA has played a pivotal role in supplementing the provision of essential medicines in Mexico, since despite the fact that Mexico produces virtually all of the essential medicines consumed locally, they production is not sufficient without the importation of pharmaceutical products, medicines, raw materials and other equipment from the USA. The access of essential medicines of Mexico compared to USA and the Practices the USA can adopt to improve access to essential medicines The access of essential medicines in Mexico, compared to the USA is almost at par, considering that both countries are able to produce sufficient essential medicines for local consumption. Nevertheless, since the full implementation of the universal healthcare access in Mexico, there has been a high access of essential medicine in the country, compared to the USA, something that has contributed to some of the USA citizens crossing the borders into Mexico, so that they can access essential medicines easily (Garman, Johnson & Royer, 2011). Despite the fact that the USA contributes much to the essential medicine production in Mexico, there is still a deficit in the USA that makes the access of essential medicine in Mexico cheaper, most especially due to the implementation of the universal health care access. Therefore, the practices the USA can adopt to improve access to essential medicines include the implementation of a universal healthcare system for healthcare provision to the citizens, which will in turn make it easier for the USA citizens to access essential medicines. Additionally, the USA can learn the policy and legislative enactments practices, such as the patenting laws in Mexico, which have highly attracted Foreign Direct Investment in the pharmaceutical industry in Mexico, making it easy to provide essential medicines to the Mexican population (Eastern Medical, 2008). The USA should adopt the policy and legislative practices, so that it can also enhance the investment environment, and thus manage to increase the accessibility of essential medicines to its population. References Estern Medical Research. (October, 2008). Mexico's pharmaceutical industry boasts import and export value growth of 25 percent per year. http://www.esternmedical.com/information/article01.php Garman, A. N., Johnson, T. J., & Royer, T. C. (2011). The future of healthcare: Global trends worth watching. Chicago, IL: Health Administration Press. Johnson, J. A., & Stoskopf, C. H. (2010). Comparative health systems: Global perspective. Boston, MA: Jones and Bartlett. Negocosis. (November 03, 2013). Mexico's Pharmaceutical & Medical Device Industries: The Pulse of Success. http://negocios.promexico.gob.mx/english/07-2013/art01.html Pharmaceutical technology. (March 26, 2013). Mexico: growing South America's pharmaceutical industry. Net Resources International. http://www.pharmaceutical-technology.com/features/featuremexico-drugs-pharmaceutical-brazil-south-america/ Wirtz, V.J. et al. (2008). “Medicines in Mexico, 1990-2004: systematic review of research on access and use.” Salud Pública de México, 50.4. http://www.scielosp.org/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0036-36342008001000008 Read More