Mapping Private Sector Supply Chains for Pharmaceutical Products in Developing Countries

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Researcher: Prashant Yadav

Term: September 2007

Project Sponsor: UK Department for International Development.

Pilot study done in Zambia and Kyrgyzstan

Project Description

One third of the world’s population lacks access to essential medicines. This situation persists despite increased government and donor financing for health, in part due to fundamental inefficiencies in the pharmaceutical market and across many countries’ health and commodity supply systems. Weak governance and a lack of transparency in medicines selection, regulation, procurement, distribution and sales contribute to this inefficiency and can also increase the vulnerability of the medicines supply chain to corruption and fraud.

To respond to these challenges, the following information should be gathered, analyzed and put into the public domain falls into the following areas:

  • Supply chain operations;
  • Medicine affordability;
  • Equitable access; and
  • The rational use of medicines.

This project has focused on transparency and accountability issues in the medicines supply chain, to support Medicines for Transparency Alliance (MeTA) pilot countries in learning from their ongoing efforts in this area and to build a robust evidence base.

Publications, invited talks and conferences

  • “Analysis of the Public, Private and Mission Sector Supply Chains for Medicines in Zambia”. DFID Technical Report September 2007.
  • “Making Pharmaceutical Markets Work for the Poor”, Medicines Transparency Alliance Launch, May 2008.
  • “Price Control and the Supply Chain”. National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority of India Seminar, April 2008.