Research on the price, availability, and affordability of insulin in six areas of Peru

An important issue for diabetes treatment is the limited availability of medications. According to previous studies in Peru, approximately 30% of people with diabetes are prescribed insulin in outpatient consultations. Nevertheless, a study in Lima identified a lack of insulin and syringe availability in primary healthcare facilities; insulin could only be obtained in public hospitals and private pharmacies, where prices were up to three times higher in the latter. However, there is insufficient information from other areas outside the capital to understand the extent of this issue.

Objective:

To investigate the price, availability, and affordability of insulin in six regions of Peru.

Design:

A cross-sectional study using a survey adapted from the World Health Organization/Health Action International (WHO/HAI) methodology to collect data on the price and availability of insulin, metformin, and insulin syringes in pharmacies. Thirty health establishments under the Ministry of Health (MINSA) and thirty private establishments or pharmacies will be surveyed, totaling sixty establishments.

Results:

Availability in public pharmacies is 63.2% for regular insulin and 68.4% for isophane-NPH, though availability differences were noted between care levels and regions. Private pharmacies offered a greater variety of insulin types but with availability lower than 11%. The median price for human insulin in private pharmacies was three to four times higher than in public pharmacies. In comparison, metformin availability reached 89.5% in public pharmacies and 77.7% in private ones. The affordability of one month of treatment with human insulin or generic metformin in public pharmacies is less than the equivalent of one working day’s wage.

Presentation:

Study ACCISS Presentation_01-25-19

Contact:

Maria Lazo-Porras, MD, MSc
maria.lazo@upch.pe