EVALUATION OF PHARMACEUTICAL PRICING AND POLICY IN QATAR AND LEBANON: A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE MEDICINES

Abstract

The study aimed to review the pharmaceutical pricing policies and to assess prices, availability, and affordability of essential cardiovascular disease medicines in Qatar and Lebanon across multiple sectors. A thorough review of applicable policies was undertaken and interviews with key informants were conducted, in addition to the use of a variant of the World Health Organization and Health Action International methodology as outlined in “Measuring medicine prices, availability, affordability and price components” (2008), second edition. In conclusion, both countries are using multiple internationally recognized pricing policies simultaneously. Prices of medicines in the private sector are higher than the international reference prices. Nevertheless, and despite few exceptions, most medicines were affordable in all sectors surveyed. Of those surveyed, only the public sector in Qatar had a satisfying level of availability and affordability. Except for the public sector in Qatar, both countries fall short of the Sustainable Development Goals, and more efforts should be undertaken to achieve these goals.