Availability and pricing of insulin and related diagnostics in South Africa.

Background: In South Africa (SA), most patients rely on the government for free healthcare. Some choose to subscribe to a medical insurance scheme. If insulin is unavailable in government or otherwise unaffordable, non-adherence may occur, which can increase complications of the disease.

Access to childhood cancer medicines in South Africa: a health systems analysis of barriers and enablers.

Background: We sought to identify what barriers and facilitators determine current perceived access to childhood cancer care in South Africa through in-depth interviews with stakeholders in South Africa's public and private sectors.

Methods: Qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted with 29 key health system stakeholders, including policy-makers and regulators, medical insurance scheme informants, medicine suppliers, healthcare providers and civil society stakeholders. Identified barriers and facilitators in access to medicines and broader care were structured according to the pharmaceutical value chain (PVC).

A scoping review of continuing education models and statutory requirements for pharmacists globally.

Background: In the dynamic field of pharmacy amongst a diverse array of countries with disparate income levels, pharmacists play a pivotal role in integrating emerging scientific knowledge into their practice while adapting to evolving therapeutic interventions and expanding service delivery responsibilities. Lifelong Learning (LLL) is cultivated through continuing professional education (CPE) and continuing professional development (CPD), indispensable components ensuring sustained professional competence and heightened patient care quality. The global landscape witnesses diverse LLL activities tailored to pharmacists' learning needs and preferences.

Shared learning experiences: Pilot study of an online exchange project between pharmacy students in South Africa and the United States.

Introduction: Internationalisation enhances students' understanding of social, cultural, and ethical differences, preparing them to be global-minded, socially accountable healthcare practitioners. Traditionally, internationalisation of education involves international student travel. Online tools provide opportunities for international, peer-driven learning and collaboration without costly travel.

Critical appraisal of clinical guidelines for prevention and management of doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity.

Objective: Doxorubicin is a valuable chemotherapeutic drug; however, it is associated with a high risk of cardiotoxicity. Several institutions and organizations have developed guidelines for risk factor assessment, monitoring and prevention strategies against chemotherapy-induced cardiotoxicity. This review aimed to assess the quality of current practice guidelines, using the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation II (AGREE II).

A quantitative comparison of essential cardiovascular medicines from countries in the Southern African Development Community to the WHO model essential medicines list.

Background: Globally, cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a leading cause of death and disproportionately affects low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The WHO Model List of Essential Medicines (WHO EML) is a tool for improving accessibility and availability of medicines. This study compared the 2021 WHO EML CVDs basket of medicines with latest available national essential medicines list (NEMLs) for South Africa and 15 Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries to assess consistency in CVDs medicine listing.

Burning Questions: What Should the Pharmacist Know about Managing Minor Burns?

Burn injuries are an endemic health concern in developing countries. Globally, Africa has the highest incidence of burn injuries per capita. A total of 2.

Extending Pharmacist Roles in Primary Healthcare to Meet the Needs of Universal Health Coverage in Zimbabwe: A Pharmacist Perspective and Curriculum Evaluation.

Zimbabwean pharmacists undergo university level education to understand the biochemical mechanisms and actions of medicines but are limited in their scope of practice. They are called medicines experts, yet they are not allowed to apply their specialized knowledge independently in direct patient management. We aim to obtain Zimbabwean pharmacists' perceptions on extending their scope of practice and to evaluate the Zimbabwe pharmacy honours degree curriculum to determine the competencies covered and whether these are in-line with an extended scope of practice.

The availability of priority medicines for children under 5 years in eThekwini, South Africa.

Background: Globally, an estimated 8.1 million children under 5 years die annually in developing countries. Ensuring essential medicines are accessible and affordable to the population is key to saving lives.

Polypharmacy and the occurrence of potential drug-drug interactions among geriatric patients at the outpatient pharmacy department of a regional hospital in Durban, South Africa.

Background: Polypharmacy is the administration of an excessive number of medicines and a significant irrational medicine use practice. Little is known about this practice in South Africa. This study aimed to determine the level of polypharmacy and potential drug-drug interactions amongst the geriatric patient population in a facility in South Africa.

Evaluating the implementation of the standard treatment guidelines (STGs) and essential medicines list (EML) at a public South African tertiary institution and its associated primary health care (PHC) facilities.

Background: The standard treatment guidelines (STGs) and essential medicines list (EML) were a policy option recommended in the National Drug Policy for South Africa in 1996 to address the irrational and bloated medicines procurement list. STGs/EML serve as a tool to promote cost-effective use of medicines; rational prescribing; and improve accessibility to medicines for all citizens. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the use and implementation of the STGs/EML by prescribers at a public tertiary institution and its associated Primary Health Care (PHC) facilities in the uMhlathuze subdistrict of KwaZulu Natal.

Perceptions from pharmaceutical stakeholders on how the pharmaceutical budget is allocated in South Africa.

Background: South Africa faces a heavy burden of disease, which impacts resource allocation. The needs of South Africa require efficient translation into pharmaceutical expenditure for medicine provision, to ensure availability of medicines. Given that South Africa faces various challenges with medicine provision accompanied by rising pharmaceutical expenditure, this study aimed to report on the considerations and methods used to determine the healthcare budget for South Africa, and how it is translated into pharmaceutical expenditure for medicines provision on the Standard Treatment Guidelines and Essential Medicines List and non-essential medicines in the public sector.

Drawing lessons from the standard treatment guidelines and essential medicines list concept in South Africa as the country moves towards national health insurance.

The essential medicines concept is recognised as an instrument to improve medicines access and to promote cost-effective use of health resources. South Africa adopted the concept and implemented the Standard Treatment Guidelines and Essential Medicines List (STGs/EML) in 1996 when the National Drug Policy for South Africa was launched. The STGs/EML was meant to address the inequities in medicines access and use and to ensure a standard of care to all citizens, yet these inequities still exist.

Understanding the decision making process of selection of medicines in the private sector in South Africa - lessons for low-middle income countries.

Background: The affordability of essential medicines is a challenge in achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC). One of The Lancet Commission's recommendations on financing of essential medicines is to ensure governments and national health systems include essential medicines in the benefit packages provided by public and private healthcare sectors. Currently in South Africa (SA), there is a dearth of information on the processes for medicines selection for private sector medical scheme formularies.

Parents' and guardians' perceptions on availability and pricing of medicines and healthcare for children in eThekwini, South Africa - a qualitative study.

Background: Inadequate access to affordable essential medicines poses a challenge to achieving Universal Health Coverage. Access to essential medicines for children has been in the spotlight in recent research. However, information from the end users of medicines, i.

Selection of essential medicines for South Africa - an analysis of in-depth interviews with national essential medicines list committee members.

Background: The South African (SA) public health system has employed an Essential Medicines List (EML) with Standard Treatment Guidelines (STGs) in the public sector since 1996. To date no studies have reported on the process of selection of essential medicines for SA EMLs and how this may have changed over time. This study reports on the decision making process for the selection of essential medicines for SA EMLs, over the years, as described by various members of the National Essential Medicines List Committee (NEMLC) and their task teams.

Quantitative evaluation of essential medicines lists: the South African case study.

Background: The South African (SA) health system has employed an Essential Medicines List (EML) with Standard Treatment Guidelines (STGs) since 1996. To date no studies have reported the changes in SA STG/EMLs. This study describes these changes over time (1996-2013) and compares latest SA STG/EMLs with the latest World Health Organization (WHO) Model EMLs to assess alignment of these lists.