title: The prices people pay for medicines in Zimbabwe.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To collect, analyse and compare prices of medicines in different sectors and parts of the country and to compare them with the medicine prices in other countries.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective cross sectional study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Pharmacy outlets in Zimbabwe comprising 27 retail pharmacies, 23 dispensing doctors, eight public hospital pharmacies and seven municipal clinics.
  
  
  METHODS
  Median price ratios, 25th percentiles and 75th percentiles.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Innovator brands in the private sector were priced 10 times the International References Prices (IRP) and more than three times the price of generic medicines. Dispensing doctors were charging the highest prices for medicines and the public sector had the least prices. The national procurement agency, NatPharm, procured medicines at prices slightly below the Management Sciences for Health (MSH) prices. Prices of medicines in the public sector were higher than average prices for medicines from seven other African countries.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Medicine prices in Zimbabwe are high, a scenario that may compromise affordability and accessibility to medicines especially by the poor. Urgent steps are needed to reduce the level and effect of the high prices on the population, especially the poor.
authors: University of Texas at Austin, College of Pharmacy, Pharmacy Practice and Administration Division, Room PHR3.209, Austin, TX 78712-0127, USA.
authors: P
authors: P
authors: Gavaza
authors: T
authors: T
authors: Simoyi
authors: B
authors: B
authors: Makunike
authors: C C
authors: CC
authors: Maponga
mesh_terms: D003132:Commerce; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003625:Data Collection / Q000379:methods; D016527:Drug Costs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D018954:Drugs, Essential / Q000191:economics* / Q000600:supply & distribution; D016568:Drugs, Generic / Q000191:economics* / Q000600:supply & distribution; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006801:Humans; D010594:Pharmacies / Q000191:economics; D017149:Private Sector; D011446:Prospective Studies; D017150:Public Sector; D012015:Reference Standards; D014944:World Health Organization; D015030:Zimbabwe
chemical_list: D018954:Drugs, Essential; D016568:Drugs, Generic