Table 1.
Percentage of healthcare providers dispensing medicines free of charge and median price ratios by provider type (using Management Sciences for Health supplier prices as a reference)
| Medicine tablets or capsules except otherwise noted | Public facilities | Private non-profit facilities | Median price ratios | ||||
| Number surveyed* | Percentage dispensed for free (number) | Number surveyed* | Percentage dispensed for free (number) | Public | Non-profit | Drug stores | |
| Medicines for CVD | |||||||
| Amlodipine 10 mg | 2 | 50 (1) | 12 | 8.3 (1) | 1.3 | 2.7 | 2.7 |
| Amlodipine 5 mg | 17 | 17.6 (3) | 16 | 0 | 2.3 | 6.3 | 5.0 |
| Atenolol 50 mg | 31 | 32.3 (10) | 38 | 15.8 (6) | – | 3.7 | 4.6 |
| Bisoprolol 10 mg | 0 | – | 1 | 0 | – | 3.4 | – |
| Bisoprolol 5 mg | 1 | 0 (0) | 0 | – | – | – | – |
| Captopril 25 mg | 0 | – | 3 | 0 | – | 4.4 | 2.0 |
| Furosemide 40 mg | 41 | 43.9 (18) | 57 | 12.3 (7) | 1.6 | 3.3 | 3.3 |
| Hydrochlorothiazide 50 mg | 12 | 58.3 (7) | 16 | 0 | 2.3 | 6.4 | 4.7 |
| Ramipril 10 mg | 0 | – | 1 | 0 | – | – | – |
| Ramipril 5 mg | 0 | – | 1 | 0 | – | – | – |
| Simvastatin 20 mg | 0 | – | 1 | 0 | – | 8.3 | 5.7 |
| Valsartan 80 mg | 0 | – | 1 | 0 | – | – | – |
| Medicines for diabetes | |||||||
| Glibenclamide 5 mg | 34 | 35.3 (12) | 44 | 11.4 (5) | 3.5 | 5.3 | 5.3 |
| Glimeperide 1 mg | 0 | – | 1 | 0 | – | – | – |
| Glimeperide 2 mg | 0 | – | 3 | 0 | – | – | – |
| Glimeperide 4 mg | 0 | – | 3 | 0 | – | – | – |
| Metformin 1000 mg | 0 | – | 1 | 0 | – | 2.6 | 1.3 |
| Metformin 500 mg | 39 | 38.5 (15) | 47 | 14.9 (7) | 2.0 | 3.3 | 3.3 |
| Medicines for asthma | |||||||
| Salbutamol 100 MCG/DOS inhaler | 24 | 41.7 (10) | 35 | 14.3 (5) | 1.1 | 1.0 | 1.4 |
| Other NCD medicines | |||||||
| Amitriptyline 25 mg | 40 | 45 (18) | 50 | 16 (8) | 1.3 | 3.5 | 2.3 |
| Omeprazole 20 mg | 45 | 35.6 (16) | 65 | 15.4 (10) | 3.5 | 3.5 | 3.5 |
| Acute medicines | |||||||
| Amoxicillin 250 mg Dispersible tab | 21 | 52.4 (11) | 27 | 22.2 (6) | 1.4 | 0.9 | 0.9 |
| Amoxicillin 250 mg | 41 | 43.9 (18) | 53 | 18.9 (10) | 1.9 | 1.9 | 1.9 |
| Amoxicillin 500 mg | 7 | 71.4 (5) | 37 | 13.5 (5) | 1.5 | 1.7 | 1.7 |
| Ceftriaxone 1 g/vial Inj | 40 | 40.0 (16) | 57 | 12.3 (7) | 2.9 | 3.7 | 1.7 |
| Ciprofloxacin 500 mg | 15 | 40.0 (6) | 45 | 8.9 (4) | 2.7 | 2.7 | 2.7 |
| Co-trimoxazole 8+40 mg/mL Susp. | 31 | 67.7 (21) | 51 | 27.5 (14) | 1.1 | 2.1 | 1.7 |
| Diazepam 5 mg | 34 | 44.1 (15) | 51 | 21.6 (11) | 3.7 | 2.1 | 2.1 |
| Paracetamol 24 mg/mL Susp | 44 | 75.0 (33) | 57 | 24.6 (14) | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.6 |
| Mean | 43.8 | 8.7 | 2.1 | 3.4 | 2.9 | ||
Medicines on the EML (2010 or 2016) are highlighted in bold.
*Refers to the number of facilities that have the medicine in stock and which reported a price for it.
CVD, cardiovascular diseases; EML, Essential Medicines List; NCD, non-communicable disease.