Role of primary health care in ensuring access to medicines

• Published in: Croatian medical journal 2010-06, Vol.51 (3), p.181-190
• Main Authors: Sambala, Evanson Z, Sapsed, Susan, Mkandawire, Mercy L
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Cover Page; Health care reform; Health Services Accessibility; Humans; Pharmaceutical Preparations - supply & distribution; Political aspects; Primary health care; Primary Health Care - organization & administration; Public health administration
• ISSN: 0353-9504; 1332-8166
• DOI: 10.3325/2010.51.181

To examine ways of ensuring access to health services within the framework of primary health care (PHC), since the goal of PHC to make universal health care available to all people has become increasingly neglected amid emerging themes of globalization, trade, and foreign policy. From a public health point of view, we argue that the premise of PHC can unlock barriers to health care services and contribute greatly to determining collective health through the promotion of universal basic health services. PHC has the most sophisticated and organized infrastructure, theories, and political principles, with which it can deal adequately with the issues of inequity, inequality, and social injustice which emerge from negative economic externalities and neo-liberal economic policies. Addressing these issues, especially the complex social and political influences that restrict access to medicines, may require the integration of different health initiatives into PHC. Based on current systems, PHC remains the only conventional health delivery service that can deal with resilient public health problems adequately. However, to strengthen its ability to do so, we propose the revitalization of PHC to incorporate scholarship that promotes human rights, partnerships, research and development, advocacy, and national drug policies. The concept of PHC can improve access; however, this will require the urgent interplay among theoretical, practical, political, and sociological influences arising from the economic, social, and political determinants of ill health in an era of globalization.