Affiliations 

  • 1 Pharmacy Department, Keta Municipal Hospital, Ghana Health Service, Keta-Dzelukope, Ghana
  • 2 Department of Pharmacology, Therapeutics and Toxicology, Lagos State University College of Medicine, Ikeja, Nigeria
  • 3 Department of Pharmaceutics and Pharmacy Practice, School of Pharmacy, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya
  • 4 Pharmaceutical Society of Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya
  • 5 Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacognosy, School of Pharmacy, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya
  • 6 Pharmacy Department, College of Medicine, Blantyre, Malawi
  • 7 Department of Pharmacy Practice and Policy, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Namibia, Windhoek, Namibia
  • 8 Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Bayero University, Kano, Nigeria
  • 9 Unit of Pharmacology, College of Health Sciences, Yusuf Maitama Sule University, Kano, Nigeria
  • 10 Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Lahore, Lahore, Pakistan
  • 11 Department of Pharmacy, University of Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia
  • 12 Pharmaceutical Administration and PharmacoEconomics, Hanoi University of Pharmacy, Hanoi, Vietnam
  • 13 Unit of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine and Defence Health, Universiti Pertahanan Nasional Malaysia (National Defence University of Malaysia), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
  • 14 Department of Microbiology, Jahangirnagar University, Dhaka, Bangladesh
  • 15 Department of Periodontology and Implantology, Karnavati University, Gandhinagar, India
  • 16 Healthcare Improvement Scotland, Glasgow, United Kingdom
  • 17 Uganda Alliance of Patients' Organizations (UAPO), Kampala, Uganda
  • 18 Independent Consumer Advocate, Brunswick, VIC, Australia
  • 19 Institute of Orthopaedic Surgery "Banjica", University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
  • 20 Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, United Kingdom
  • 21 Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Brownlow Hill, Liverpool, United Kingdom
Front Pharmacol, 2020;11:588106.
PMID: 33628173 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2020.588106

Abstract

Background: Countries across Africa and Asia have introduced a variety of measures to prevent and treat COVID-19 with medicines and personal protective equipment (PPE). However, there has been considerable controversy surrounding some treatments including hydroxychloroquine where the initial hype and misinformation led to shortages, price rises and suicides. Price rises and shortages were also seen for PPE. Such activities can have catastrophic consequences especially in countries with high co-payment levels. Consequently, there is a need to investigate this further. Objective: Assess changes in utilisation, prices, and shortages of pertinent medicines and PPE among African and Asian countries since the start of pandemic. Our approach: Data gathering among community pharmacists to assess changes in patterns from the beginning of March until principally the end of May 2020. In addition, suggestions on ways to reduce misinformation. Results: One hundred and thirty one pharmacists took part building on the earlier studies across Asia. There were increases in the utilisation of principally antimalarials (hydroxychloroquine) and antibiotics (azithromycin) especially in Nigeria and Ghana. There were limited changes in Namibia and Vietnam reflecting current initiatives to reduce inappropriate prescribing and dispensing of antimicrobials. Encouragingly, there was increased use of vitamins/immune boosters and PPE across the countries where documented. In addition, generally limited change in the utilisation of herbal medicines. However, shortages have resulted in appreciable price increases in some countries although moderated in others through government initiatives. Suggestions in Namibia going forward included better planning and educating patients. Conclusion: Encouraging to see increases in the utilisation of vitamins/immune boosters and PPE. However, concerns with increased utilisation of antimicrobials needs addressing alongside misinformation, unintended consequences from the pandemic and any appreciable price rises. Community pharmacists and patient organisations can play key roles in providing evidence-based advice, helping moderate prices through improved stock management, and helping address unintended consequences of the pandemic.

* Title and MeSH Headings from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

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