Evaluating the provision of antihypertensive drugs in the Republic of Kazakhstan on example of Almaty

Aim. To study the opinion of doctors and pharmacists of providing free prescriptions for antihypertensive drugs in primary healthcare in Almaty. Methods. Medical and demographical data of the Agency of the Republic of Kazakhstan on Statistics on prescribing free antihypertensive drugs to special categories in primary healthcare in Almaty in 2008-2012, as well as the data of special questionnaires filled in by doctors authorized to make free prescriptions and by pharmacists supplying patients with free antihypertensive drugs were analyzed. The data were collected in primary healthcare facilities of Almaty in 2012. Results. Sociological survey showed that 90.8% of primary healthcare facilities were adequately equipped for entering free and preferential drug prescription data to the national database. In 9.2% of cases, facilities were underequipped (not every examination room had a computer). Examples of correctly filled in prescriptions for free and preferential drug supply were available in every facility. The question «Do you think that the system of preferential/free drug prescription provision improves the treatment effectiveness?» was answered positively by over a half of the respondents (50.6%), 31.6% believed that it provided better compliance for medication intake. Conclusion. 21.0% of physicians and 21.4% of pharmacists rated the current system as «excellent», and 47.4% and 53,6% accordingly - as «good». At that, 5.3% of physicians who rated the work as «unsatisfactory» expressed the willingness to switch to the system of 50% preferential provision.

drug provision, antihypertensive drugs, physicians, pharmacists, people entitled to privileges