The Impact of the Pharmaceutical Care Management Model of Hepatitis C Medications on the Cost at Health Insurance Level

Access to Medicines and Pharmaceutical Policy in Saudi Arabia: A Scoping Review

Introduction

This scoping review includes studies on pharmaceutical access, shortages, generics, availability, pharmacoeconomics, and pricing restrictions. The study's findings may aid in developing excellent pharmaceutical and access policies in the country.

Objective

To conduct a scoping review documenting access to medicines and Pharmaceutical Policy in Saudi Arabia.

Methodology

The PRISMA-ScR guidelines were used to perform a scoping review. The articles were screened using databases from Google Scholar, EBSCO, Science Direct, and the University of Huddersfield Library. The selection, aims, results, and conclusion of each original research publication published between 2010 and 2022 were evaluated. To categorize the articles, a theme analysis was done.

Results

This study includes nineteen publications. The chosen articles revealed four themes. Among these topics were: Access to medications 36.84% Pharmacoeconomic 36.84%), which were the predominant theme followed by Generic Medicines 15.80%, and Cancer drug financing 10.54%. There are myriad challenges related to high-cost medicines. Access restrictions to medications have significant effects on patient morbidity and mortality; as a result, policy decision-makers frequently consider this issue. Access to medicines suffers budgetary limitations and the increasing cost of innovative medicines. Access to medicines for all patients could be significantly impacted by delays in patient access to new therapies.

Conclusion

The available evidence revealed that Saudi Arabia's healthcare system has numerous issues ranging from cancer drug financing, medicine shortages, and access issue. In order to achieve the highest health standards possible, it is crucial that each individual has access to medicines and has the financial, physical, and social means to do so. However, the price of some medications can be prohibitive for people who need to obtain them. The study's outcomes could help the country develop pharmaceutical and access policies related to medicines.

A systematic review on the impact of pharmacist-provided services on patients' health outcomes in Arab countries

WHAT IS KNOWN AND OBJECTIVE

The pharmacist's role has evolved dramatically over the last few decades and shows considerable impact globally. The aim of this systematic review was to describe the nature and extent of studies evaluating the impact of pharmacist-provided services on clinical, humanistic and economic outcomes in different healthcare settings across the Arab world.

METHODS

A systematic literature search was conducted using the following databases from their inception until June 2020: Cochrane, Embase, MEDLINE, PubMed, ScienceDirect and Scopus. Reporting was done according to PRISMA guidelines, and the quality assessment utilized the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Thirty-five eligible studies were included in this review, the majority of which were randomized controlled trials (RCT) (n = 26) conducted in hospital settings (n = 26). Most of the studies involved patients with specific medical conditions (n = 29) and pharmacist's interventions involved mainly medication therapy management (n = 32), counselling and education (n = 29), and medication therapy recommendations (n = 12). Several studies showed a positive impact (i.e., a statistically and/or clinically significant difference in favour of pharmacist-provided care or intervention) of pharmacist-provided services on clinical (n = 28), humanistic (n = 6) and economic (n = 5) outcomes. Conversely, five studies showed neutral or mixed effect of pharmacist interventions on clinical and humanistic outcomes.

WHAT IS NEW AND CONCLUSION

The findings of this systematic review demonstrate a positive impact of pharmacist-provided services on clinical, humanistic and economic outcomes across diverse settings in the Arab world. Most of the included studies evaluated clinical outcomes and were from hospital setting. Directed approaches are needed to advance pharmacy practice across various healthcare settings in the Arab world.