The Implementation of External Reference Pricing within and across Country Borders

An assessment of the way that 29 countries implement external reference pricing (ERP), which aims to contain medicine costs, using a systematic literature review-based process

Multimedia-based Medicinal Plants Sustainability Management System

Medicinal plants are increasingly recognized worldwide as an alternative source of efficacious and inexpensive medications to synthetic chemo-therapeutic compound. Rapid declining wild stocks of medicinal plants accompanied by adulteration and species substitutions reduce their efficacy, quality and safety. Consequently, the low accessibility to and non-affordability of orthodox medicine costs by rural dwellers to be healthy and economically productive further threaten their life expectancy. Finding comprehensive information on medicinal plants of conservation concern at a global level has been difficult. This has created a gap between computing technologies’ promises and expectations in the healing process under complementary and alternative medicine. This paper presents the design and implementation of a Multimedia-based Medicinal Plants Sustainability Management System addressing these concerns. Medicinal plants’ details for designing the system were collected through semi-structured interviews and databases. Unified Modelling Language, Microsoft-Visual-Studio.Net, C#3.0, Microsoft-Jet-Engine4.0, MySQL, Loquendo Multilingual Text-to-Speech Software, YouTube, and VLC Media Player were used. Keywords: Complementary and Alternative Medicine, conservation, extinction, medicinal plant, multimedia, phytoconstituents, rural dweller

Analisis Kesenjangan Keuntungan Usaha Bunga Krisan Di Show Window Dan Di Tingkat Petani Kelurahan Kakaskasen II, Kec. Tomohon Utara Kota Tomohon

This research aims to analyze the profit gap of chrysanthemum business in “Show Window” Land and Farmers' Land in Kakaskasen II Village, North Tomohon District, Tomohon City. This research was conducted from December to April 2022. The selection of respondents was done intentionally. The data collection method is a survey method. Interview data collection techniques using a questionnaire. The data used are primary data and secondary data. Primary data were collected through interviews based on questionnaires, to four farmers. Secondary data were obtained from related institutions, namely the Head of the Show Window Center and the Kelurahan Office. The results showed that the profit of the chrysanthemum flower business in the Show Window area was greater than that of the farmer, namely Rp. 13,635,049, while in the Farmer's Land, it was Rp. 7,705.822. The value of the gap in the profit of chrysanthemum business between the potential performance in the Show Window Land and the actual performance in the Farmer's Land is Rp. 5,891,726. The profit gap that occurs is caused by the cost factor incurred and the resulting revenue factor. Costs that can affect fixed costs are depreciation costs, and variable costs consisting of medicine costs, labor costs, and other costs (electricity and water). Costs that can affect fixed costs are depreciation costs, and variable costs consisting of medicine costs, labor costs, and other costs (electricity and water). Acceptance at the Show Window is greater than that of farmers because production is influenced by land use, chrysanthemum production, cultivation methods, and competent workers

Balancing Medicine Prices and Business Sustainability: Analyses of Pharmacy Costs, Revenues and Profit Shed Light on Retail Medicine Mark-Ups in Rural Kyrgyzstan

BACKGROUND: Numerous not-for-profit pharmacies have been created to improve access to medicines for the poor, but many have failed due to insufficient financial planning and management. These pharmacies are not well described in health services literature despite strong demand from policy makers, implementers, and researchers. Surveys reporting unaffordable medicine prices and high mark-ups have spurred efforts to reduce medicine prices, but price reduction goals are arbitrary in the absence of information on pharmacy costs, revenues, and profit structures. Health services research is needed to develop sustainable and "reasonable" medicine price goals and strategic initiatives to reach them. METHODS. We utilized cost accounting methods on inventory and financial information obtained from a not-for-profit rural pharmacy network in mountainous Kyrgyzstan to quantify costs, revenues, profits and medicine mark-ups during establishment and maintenance periods (October 2004-December 2007). RESULTS: Twelve pharmacies and one warehouse were established in remote Kyrgyzstan with 100%, respectively. Annual mark-ups increased dramatically each year to cover increasing recurrent costs, and by 2007, only 19% and 46% of products revealed mark-ups of 100%. 2007 medicine mark-ups varied substantially across these products, ranging from 32% to 244%. Mark-ups needed to sustain private pharmacies would be even higher in the absence of government subsidies. CONCLUSION: Pharmacy networks can be established in hard-to-reach regions with little funding using public-private partnership, resource-sharing models. Medicine prices and mark-ups must be interpreted with consideration for regional costs of business. Mark-ups vary dramatically across medicines. Some mark-ups appear "excessive" but are likely necessary for pharmacy viability. Pharmacy financial data is available in remote settings and can be used towards determination of "reasonable" medicine price goals. Health systems researchers must document the positive and negative financial experiences of pharmacy initiatives to inform future projects and advance access to medicines goals.United States Agency for International Development through the Child and Family Applied Research Project at the Boston University School of Public Healt

Cost and cost-effectiveness of switching from d4T or AZT to a TDF-based first-line regimen in a resource-limited setting in rural Lesotho

Article approval pendingLatest World Health Organization guidelines recommend shifting away from Stavudine (d4T)-based regimens due to severe side effects. However, widespread replacement of d4T by Tenofovir (TDF) or Zidovudine (AZT) is hampered by cost concerns

Improving medicines value for money in the NHS and the role of biosimilars - assessing progress so far

Biosimilars are essential to help contain medicine costs and treat patients well with biologicals

Minnesota: Leading the Way on Canadian Prescription Medicine Importation

In the United States, about $160 billion is spent on prescription medicines each year, with Minnesotans spending about$3 billion. The costs of prescription medicines receive so much attention in large part because, although prescription medicine costs constitute only 10.5% of total health care spending, they account for 23% of the total out-of-pocket costs that people incur when purchasing health care. Minnesota has been a leader in controlling prescription medicine costs. It has aggressively used purchasing pools when possible, and encouraged the use of lower cost, generic prescription medicines when appropriate. Even with these efforts to control costs, prescription medicines were still becoming too costly for many Minnesotans to afford. Busloads of senior citizens headed north for Canada. Others used Internet pharmacies, some of which were unsafe. The need for lower cost prescription medicine alternatives and a desire to protect the safety of Minnesotans who seek them caused Governor Pawlenty, in September of 2003, to direct the Minnesota Department of Human Services to examine the feasibility of importing prescription medicines from Canada and other international sources. He directed the Commissioner of Human Services to examine methods to address the needs of Minnesota state employees, the citizens served through the state’s public assistance programs, and the state’s citizens at large. In response to this directive, a three-phase plan was developed. The plan called for the development of a website to empower Minnesota consumers to purchase mail-order prescription medicines for personal use from approved Canadian pharmacies; the option for Minnesota state employees to voluntarily obtain prescriptions for maintenance medications from Canadian pharmacies; and the establishment of a pilot project that allows Minnesotans to purchase Canadian prescription medicines from their local pharmacies

Efficiency and distribution in contract farming:The case of Indian poultry growers

This paper is an empirical analysis of the gains from contract farming in the case of poultry production in the state of Andhra Pradesh in India. The paper finds that contract production is more efficient than noncontract production. The efficiency surplus is largely appropriated by the processor. Despite this, contract growers still gain appreciably from contracting in terms of lower risk and higher expected returns. Improved technology and production practices as well as the way in which the processor selects growers is what makes these outcomes possible. In terms of observed and unobserved characteristics, contract growers have relatively poor prospects as independent growers. With contract production, these growers achieve incomes comparable to that of independent growersContract Farming, Contracting, Poultry, Vertical Integration

Efficiency and distribution in contract farming: the case of Indian poultry growers

"This paper is an empirical analysis of the gains from contract farming in the case of poultry production in the state of Andhra Pradesh in India. The paper finds that contract production is more efficient than noncontract production. The efficiency surplus is largely appropriated by the processor. Despite this, contract growers still gain appreciably from contracting in terms of lower risk and higher expected returns. Improved technology and production practices as well as the way in which the processor selects growers are what make these outcomes possible. In terms of observed and unobserved characteristics, contract growers have relatively poor prospects as independent growers. With contract production, these growers achieve incomes comparable to that of independent growers." Authors' AbstractContract farming, Poultry, Vertical integration,