Overview of the medicine prices and availability survey methodology

1. Presentation template for adaptation and use in medicine prices and availability survey training workshop for survey personnel Review all slides carefully for applicability to your survey before use! Overview of the medicine prices and availability survey methodology Medicine prices and availability survey Training workshop Location, dates

2. Where will data be collected? • Data is collected in 6 regions of the country ("survey areas") • Survey area 1: ADD NAME • Survey area 2: ADD NAME • Survey area 3: ADD NAME • Survey area 4: ADD NAME • Survey area 5: ADD NAME • Survey area 6: ADD NAME • In each survey area, data will be collected from a pre-determined sample of medicine outlets in the following sectors: • public sector (e.g. hospitals, health centres) • private sector (e.g. licensed pharmacies, licensed drug stores) • "other 1" sector (ADD NAME, e.g. NGO, OR DELETE IF N/A) • "other 2" sector (ADD NAME, e.g. dispensing doctor OR DELETE IF N/A)

3. Survey structure

4. What data will be collected? • The availability and price of selected medicines in different sectors: • The add-on costs of medicines as they move through the supply chain, from manufacturer to patient • Conducted separately and therefore not covered in this training workshop

5. What medicines will be surveyed? • 50 medicines • 30 pre-determined by WHO/HAI to enable international comparisons (14 global medicines and 16 regional medicines) • 20 selected nationally for local importance • For each medicine, two products are surveyed: • Originator brand – original pharmaceutical product that was first authorized for marketing, normally as a patented product • Always has a brand name • Does not vary from outlet to outlet • Identified centrally before data collection • Lowest-priced generic (LPG) – products other that the originator brand that contain the same active ingredient (substance), whether marketed under another brand name or the generic name • You will collect data on the generic with the lowest price found at each medicine outlet • LPG product will therefore vary from outlet to outlet

6. How will data be collected? • Data on the price and availability of medicines will be obtained by data collectors during visits to "medicine outlets" • Medicine outlets are places where medicines are dispensed to patients (e.g. pharmacies, health centres) • Data collectors visit medicine outlets in pairs • Note: public procurement data will be obtained centrally by the survey manager • During medicine outlet visits, data will be recorded on hard copy Medicine Prices Data Collection forms (1 form per outlet) • When less than 50% of medicines are available at a medicine outlet, data collectors will visit a back-up facility and re-conduct the survey • At the end of fieldwork, all completed forms will be entered into the electronic survey Workbook by data entry personnel • Data will be entered twice and checked for errors • The Workbook automatically generates analyses of the survey data

7. How will data be analyzed? • Availability: % of outlets where medicine was found on the day of data collection • Price: median local prices expressed as ratios to international reference prices Medicine Price Ratio (MPR) = median local unit price ________ international reference unit price • E.g. MPR = 2 means that the local medicine price is twice that of the international reference price • MSH international reference prices used: prices offered to international not-for-profit agencies for purchase of generic products • Affordability: how many days wages would the lowest paid government worker need to spend to pay for treatment? • Based on the median local price of a medicine prescribed at a standard dose

8. Roles of survey personnel The survey advisory committeehelps plan and support the survey and promote its findings The survey manager coordindates the survey at the country level. In each survey area, an area supervisor is responsible for local data collection at medicine outlets. Data collectors visit medicine outlets in pairs and gather information on the medicines found there. Data entry personnel enter the data from the hard copy data collection forms into the electronic survey Workbook

9. Organizational structure of the survey

10. Advisory Committee Membership

11. Responsibilities of the survey manager • Plans and coordinates the survey: • Develops the sample of medicine outlets and finalizes list of survey medicines • Recruits, trains and supervises other survey personnel • Oversees data collection through communications with area supervisors • Conducts data quality checks on local data collection forms and electronic survey Workbook • Carries out data analysis and interpretation • Develops the survey report

12. Responsibilities of area supervisors • Organize and supervise data collection in their survey area: • Organize data collection visits at sample medicine outlets • Prepare the necessary materials for data collection • Supervise data collection activities • Make sure data collection protocols are followed • Check data collection forms at the end of each day for completeness and legibility • Validate data collection by re-conducting the survey at 20% of outlets and comparing results to those of data collectors • Collect and store data collection forms, and ship them to the survey manager

13. Responsibilities of data collectors • Visit medicine outlets and collect information on the availability and price of medicines • Visit medicine outlets and meet with contact persons • Collect data and complete the Medicine Prices Data Collection form • Make sure Local Data Collection forms are complete and legible before leaving medicine outlets • Report to the area supervisor at the end of each day of data collection.

14. Responsibilities of data entry personnel • Enter data from the hard copy Medicine Price Data Collection Forms into the electronic survey Workbook • Run the double entry program and correct any mistakes • Run the data checker, identify any questionable data and report it to the survey manager

15. Steps in the survey • Survey planning (e.g. sampling, selecting medicines) • Preparing for data collection • Data collection and data checking • Data entry and data cleaning • Data analysis and interpretation • Development of survey report • Dissemination of results and follow-on activities Covered in this training workshop