title: The supply of antituberculosis drugs and national drugs policies.
abstract: The money necessary for purchasing antituberculosis drugs in a national programme comes from the Public Health Services budget, funds from the health insurance scheme (when it exists) and household budgets. The Public Health Services budget is on average $2-23 US per year and per person in low or middle income countries. Average drug consumption in these groups of countries was from $2-26 US per person in 1990. The number of patients to be treated depends on the annual risk of tuberculous infection (ARTI) and the case detection rate: it is the same when the ARTI is 1% and the detection rate 100%, and when the ARTI is 2% and the detection rate 50% of cases. The supply of antituberculosis drugs has a real cost representing around 3% of global drug consumption in low income countries and is always less than 1% of global drug consumption in middle income countries. In most developing countries it could be covered with the aid of national financial resources, on condition that it is integrated into a coherent national drugs policy aimed at guaranteeing the continued availability of essential drugs.
authors: Clinique de Pneumo-Phtisiologie Matiben, Hôpital de Béni-Messous, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire d'Alger-Ouest, Algeria.
authors: P
authors: P
authors: Chaulet
mesh_terms: D000995:Antitubercular Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000191:economics / Q000600:supply & distribution*; D003906:Developing Countries; D016527:Drug Costs; D004363:Drug Utilization; D006291:Health Policy; D006295:Health Resources; D006801:Humans; D009313:National Health Programs / Q000191:economics; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D000995:Antitubercular Agents