Pharmaceutica Analytica Acta

Community pharmacists? perception towards the quality and prices of locally manufactured generic medicine in Kabul - Afghanistan

4^th International Conference and Exhibition on Pharmaceutics & Novel Drug Delivery Systems

March 24-26, 2014 Hilton San Antonio Airport, San Antonio, USA

Mohammad Bashaar and Mohamed Azmi Hassali

Posters: Pharmaceut Anal Acta

Abstract:

With an objective to assess the perception of community pharmacists towards the quality and prices of locally manufactured medicine in Kabul, Afghanistan a cross-sectional study was conducted. A total of n=198 community pharmacists was approached in Kabul city to participate in the survey. Most of the pharmacists n=140 (70.7%), had 11-20 years of pharmacy practice in the community. As Afghanistan?s pharmaceutical sector depends on imported medicines, we found that, n=91 (45.90%) pharmacists chose Abbot, GSK and Getz (Pakistani pharmaceutical company), n=46 (23.2%) pharmacists chose Exir (Iranian pharmaceutical company) to obtain their medicine and, n=31 (15.7%) of pharmacists chose to obtain locally manufactured medicines. When the community pharmacists asked, that locally manufactured generics are equal in their quality compared to the imported generics, about 50.50% of the respondents have shown their disagreement and, 50% have shown their agreement. Results depict that 70.70% of the respondents believed that manufacturers of local generic products have a reliable logistic and drug delivery system and 50% of the respondents preferred to stock and dispense locally manufactured generics because the companies provide a good bonus scheme. Importantly, 80.8 % of the respondents believed that credibility is their concern when stocking medicines in their pharmacy and warehouses. Majority 90.40% of the respondents suggested that the Afghan government need to convince pharmacists that registered locally manufactured generics are of high quality and standards.

Biography :

Mohammad Bashaar is a Ph.D. Scholar at Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Social & Administrative Pharmacy (DSAP) doing his research on Medicines Prices, Availability and Affordability in Afghanistan. He did his Master in Business Administration (MBA) from Preston University and MD from Kabul Medical University. He participated in diverse capacities (as a participant, organizer, consultant and, facilitator) in different workshops, seminars and trainings abroad, such as (Switzerland, Sweden, Norway, Germany, France, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, India and Pakistan). He has trained more than 1250 individuals in Public Health, Pharmaceutical Management and Strategic Medicine. He is founding director of SMART Afghan International Trainings and Consultancy, a training and research firm based in Kabul.