“POST-COVID-19 PRICING POLICIES AND THEIR IMPACT ON MEDICATION ACCESSIBILITY: INSIGHTS FROM PHARMACY AND EXECUTIVE-MEDICAL ADMINISTRATION"
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Keywords
Abstract
Background: The COVID-19 epidemic has profoundly impacted worldwide healthcare systems, exposing considerable difficulties in pharmaceutical pricing and accessibility, especially in low- and middle-income nations.
Aim: This study aims to analyse the effects of post-COVID-19 pharmaceutical pricing regulations on the worldwide availability of medicines, emphasising supply chain resilience and equitable access.
Methods:A theme analysis of 21 qualitative studies was performed to discern principal trends and challenges in pricing and supply chains. The study examined the effects of policies across several geographical settings.
Results: Findings demonstrate that whereas specific pricing strategies have contributed to cost stabilisation and enhanced drug accessibility, considerable discrepancies persist. The pandemic revealed weaknesses in supply networks, resulting in shortages and price escalations, particularly for critical pharmaceuticals and personal protective equipment.
Conclusions: Adaptive pricing methods, improved local manufacturing, and resilient supply chain infrastructures are imperative to guarantee sustainable healthcare provision. Recommendations encompass adopting value-based pricing structures, enhancing transparency, and promoting international collaboration to improve health fairness and preparedness for future emergencies.
References
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22. Mekonnen, Z. et al. (2023) ‘The knock-on effects of COVID-19 pandemic on the supply and availability of generic medicines in Ethiopia: mixed methods study’, BMC Health Services Research, 23(1). Available at: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-023-09535-z.
23. Mohammed, S.A. et al. (2022) ‘Availability, price, and affordability of medicines used for the management of Covid-19 in health facilities of Dessie town WHO/HAI survey’, PLoS ONE, 17(12 December). Available at: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0279465.
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26. Nowell, L.S. et al. (2017) ‘Thematic Analysis’, International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 16(1). Available at: https://doi.org/10.1177/1609406917733847.
27. Polese, F. et al. (2021) ‘Emergence and phase transitions in service ecosystems’, Journal of Business Research, 127, pp. 25–34. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2020.11.067.
28. Poroes, C. et al. (2023) ‘Health System Performance and Resilience in Times of Crisis: An Adapted Conceptual Framework’, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(17), p. 6666. Available at: https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20176666.
29. Qin, K. et al. (2021) ‘A review of bismuth-based photocatalysts for antibiotic degradation: Insight into the photocatalytic degradation performance, pathways and relevant mechanisms’, Environmental Research, 199, p. 111360. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2021.111360.
30. Romano, S. et al. (2021) ‘Time-trend analysis of medicine sales and shortages during COVID-19 outbreak: Data from community pharmacies’, Research in Social and Administrative Pharmacy, 17(1), pp. 1876–1881. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sapharm.2020.05.024.
31. Sawad, A. Bin and Turkistani, F. (2021) ‘Pharmaceutical Marketing Transformation due to COVID-19 Pandemic’, Journal of Pharmaceutical Research International, pp. 91–99. Available at: https://doi.org/10.9734/jpri/2021/v33i33a31776.
32. Sun, S. et al. (2021) ‘COVID-19 and healthcare system in China: challenges and progression for a sustainable future’, Globalization and Health. BioMed Central Ltd. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12992-021-00665-9.
33. Sutherland, J. (2021) ‘The Mounting Opportunity Cost of Pivoting to COVID-19-Related Health Systems and Services Research’, Healthcare Policy | Politiques de Santé, 16(3), pp. 6–15. Available at: https://doi.org/10.12927/hcpol.2021.26438.
34. Tirivangani, T. et al. (2021) ‘Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on pharmaceutical systems and supply chain – a phenomenological study’, Exploratory Research in Clinical and Social Pharmacy, 2. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rcsop.2021.100037.
35. WHO Guideline on Country Pharmaceutical Pricing Policies (no date).
36. Zeitouny, S. et al. (2024) ‘Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on prescription drug use and costs in British Columbia: a retrospective interrupted time series study’, BMJ Open, 14(1), p. e070031. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2022-070031
2. Albaroodi, K.A.I. (2024) ‘Availability and prices of medications used during COVID-19 pandemic’, Pharmacy Practice, 22(1). Available at: https://doi.org/10.18549/PharmPract.2024.1.2902.
3. Aljadeed, R. et al. (2021) ‘The impact of covid-19 on essential medicines and personal protective equipment availability and prices in Saudi Arabia’, Healthcare (Switzerland), 9(3). Available at: https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare9030290.
4. Ataguba, J.E. (2020) ‘COVID-19 Pandemic, a War to be Won: Understanding its Economic Implications for Africa’, Applied Health Economics and Health Policy, 18(3), pp. 325–328. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40258-020-00580-x.
5. Ayati, N., Saiyarsarai, P. and Nikfar, S. (2020) ‘Short and long term impacts of COVID-19 on the pharmaceutical sector’. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40199-020-00358-5/Published.
6. Braun, V. and Clarke, V. (2006) ‘Using thematic analysis in psychology’, Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), pp. 77–101. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa.
7. Choo, E.K. and Rajkumar, S.V. (2020) ‘Medication Shortages During the COVID-19 Crisis’, Mayo Clinic Proceedings, 95(6), pp. 1112–1115. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mayocp.2020.04.001.
8. COVAX (2024) World Health Organization. Available at: https://www.who.int/initiatives/act-accelerator/covax#:~:text=It%20aimed%20to%20accelerate%20the,and%20country%20readiness%20and%20delivery (Accessed: 10 November 2024)
9. FDA (2024) U.S.A Food and Drug Adminstration available at: https://www.fda.gov/emergency-preparedness-and-response/mcm-legal-regulatory-and policy-framework/emergency-use-authorization (Accessed: 10 November 2024)
10. Dawoud, D. (2021) ‘Emerging from the other end: Key measures for a successful COVID-19 lockdown exit strategy and the potential contribution of pharmacists’, Research in Social and Administrative Pharmacy, 17(1), pp. 1950–1953. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sapharm.2020.05.011.
11. Godman, B. et al. (2020) ‘Rapid Assessment of Price Instability and Paucity of Medicines and Protection for COVID-19 Across Asia: Findings and Public Health Implications for the Future’, Frontiers in Public Health, 8. Available at: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2020.585832.
12. Goodarzian, F. et al. (2022) ‘A sustainable-resilience healthcare network for handling COVID-19 pandemic’, Annals of Operations Research, 312(2), pp. 761–825. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10479-021-04238-2.
13. Haque, M. et al. (2021) ‘Utilisation, Availability and Price Changes of Medicines and Protection Equipment for COVID-19 Among Selected Regions in India: Findings and Implications’, Frontiers in Pharmacology, 11. Available at: https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2020.582154.
14. Haque, Mainul et al. (2020) ‘Availability and price changes of potential medicines and equipment for the prevention and treatment of covid-19 among pharmacy and drug stores in bangladesh; findings and implications’, Bangladesh Journal of Medical Science, 19(Special issue), pp. S36–S50. Available at: https://doi.org/10.3329/bjms.v19i0.48106.
15. Jiang, P. et al. (2021a) ‘More is not enough: A deeper understanding of the covid-19 impacts on healthcare, energy and environment is crucial’, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. MDPI AG, pp. 1–22. Available at: https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18020684.
16. Jiang, P. et al. (2021b) ‘More Is Not Enough: A Deeper Understanding of the COVID-19 Impacts on Healthcare, Energy and Environment Is Crucial’, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(2), p. 684. Available at: https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18020684.
17. Kaltenboeck, A. and Bach, P.B. (2018) ‘Value-Based Pricing for Drugs’, JAMA, 319(21), p. 2165. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2018.4871.
18. Lee, K.S. et al. (2020) ‘Factors Impacting Pharmaceutical Prices and Affordability: Narrative Review’, Pharmacy, 9(1), p. 1. Available at: https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmacy9010001.
19. Makenga, G. et al. (2022) ‘COVID-19 vaccine development, production and regulatory oversight in African countries’, Bulletin of the World Health Organization, 100(10), pp. 651–652. Available at: https://doi.org/10.2471/BLT.22.287958.
20. Mehra, R. and Sharma, M.K. (2021) ‘Measures of Sustainability in Healthcare’, Sustainability Analytics and Modeling, 1, p. 100001. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.samod.2021.100001.
21. Mein, S.A. et al. (2024) ‘Changes in Health Care and Prescription Medication Affordability in the US during the COVID-19 Pandemic’, JAMA Health Forum, p. e241939. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1001/jamahealthforum.2024.1939.
22. Mekonnen, Z. et al. (2023) ‘The knock-on effects of COVID-19 pandemic on the supply and availability of generic medicines in Ethiopia: mixed methods study’, BMC Health Services Research, 23(1). Available at: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-023-09535-z.
23. Mohammed, S.A. et al. (2022) ‘Availability, price, and affordability of medicines used for the management of Covid-19 in health facilities of Dessie town WHO/HAI survey’, PLoS ONE, 17(12 December). Available at: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0279465.
24. Moher, D. et al. (2009) ‘Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses: The PRISMA Statement’, PLoS Medicine, 6(7), p. e1000097. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1000097.
25. Neumann, P.J. et al. (2021) ‘Consideration of value-based pricing for treatments and vaccines is important, even in the COVID-19 pandemic’, Health Affairs, 40(1), pp. 53–61. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1377/hlthaff.2020.01548.
26. Nowell, L.S. et al. (2017) ‘Thematic Analysis’, International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 16(1). Available at: https://doi.org/10.1177/1609406917733847.
27. Polese, F. et al. (2021) ‘Emergence and phase transitions in service ecosystems’, Journal of Business Research, 127, pp. 25–34. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2020.11.067.
28. Poroes, C. et al. (2023) ‘Health System Performance and Resilience in Times of Crisis: An Adapted Conceptual Framework’, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(17), p. 6666. Available at: https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20176666.
29. Qin, K. et al. (2021) ‘A review of bismuth-based photocatalysts for antibiotic degradation: Insight into the photocatalytic degradation performance, pathways and relevant mechanisms’, Environmental Research, 199, p. 111360. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2021.111360.
30. Romano, S. et al. (2021) ‘Time-trend analysis of medicine sales and shortages during COVID-19 outbreak: Data from community pharmacies’, Research in Social and Administrative Pharmacy, 17(1), pp. 1876–1881. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sapharm.2020.05.024.
31. Sawad, A. Bin and Turkistani, F. (2021) ‘Pharmaceutical Marketing Transformation due to COVID-19 Pandemic’, Journal of Pharmaceutical Research International, pp. 91–99. Available at: https://doi.org/10.9734/jpri/2021/v33i33a31776.
32. Sun, S. et al. (2021) ‘COVID-19 and healthcare system in China: challenges and progression for a sustainable future’, Globalization and Health. BioMed Central Ltd. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12992-021-00665-9.
33. Sutherland, J. (2021) ‘The Mounting Opportunity Cost of Pivoting to COVID-19-Related Health Systems and Services Research’, Healthcare Policy | Politiques de Santé, 16(3), pp. 6–15. Available at: https://doi.org/10.12927/hcpol.2021.26438.
34. Tirivangani, T. et al. (2021) ‘Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on pharmaceutical systems and supply chain – a phenomenological study’, Exploratory Research in Clinical and Social Pharmacy, 2. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rcsop.2021.100037.
35. WHO Guideline on Country Pharmaceutical Pricing Policies (no date).
36. Zeitouny, S. et al. (2024) ‘Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on prescription drug use and costs in British Columbia: a retrospective interrupted time series study’, BMJ Open, 14(1), p. e070031. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2022-070031
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Jun 02, 2025
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Ibrahim S AlKhattabi, & Raed Tariq S Alhabshan. (2025). “POST-COVID-19 PRICING POLICIES AND THEIR IMPACT ON MEDICATION ACCESSIBILITY: INSIGHTS FROM PHARMACY AND EXECUTIVE-MEDICAL ADMINISTRATION". Journal of Population Therapeutics and Clinical Pharmacology, 32(5), 07-45. https://doi.org/10.53555/hdhe1k15
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Author Biographies
Ibrahim S AlKhattabi
Presidency of State Security - General department of medical Services, Saudi Arabia
Raed Tariq S Alhabshan
Governmental sector, kingdom of Saudi Arabia
How to Cite
Ibrahim S AlKhattabi, & Raed Tariq S Alhabshan. (2025). “POST-COVID-19 PRICING POLICIES AND THEIR IMPACT ON MEDICATION ACCESSIBILITY: INSIGHTS FROM PHARMACY AND EXECUTIVE-MEDICAL ADMINISTRATION". Journal of Population Therapeutics and Clinical Pharmacology, 32(5), 07-45. https://doi.org/10.53555/hdhe1k15