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Medicine availability and affordability for paediatric cancers, China.
Lin Bai1, Tao Huang1, Huangqianyu Li2
1Department of Pharmacy Administration and Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, 38 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100191, China.
Bulletin of the World Health Organization
|January 9, 2025
Summary
Access to essential pediatric anticancer drugs in China is insufficient, with significant regional disparities. Many vital medicines lack availability and affordability, impacting children
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Oncology
- Health Services Research
- Pharmaceutical Access
Background:
- Access to essential anticancer medicines for children is critical for treatment outcomes.
- Suboptimal availability and affordability of these drugs can lead to treatment delays and disparities.
- Understanding regional variations in access is crucial for targeted interventions in China.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the availability and affordability of essential anticancer medicines for pediatric patients across China.
- To identify geographical disparities in access to these vital medications.
- To inform policy recommendations for improving pediatric cancer care in China.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study analyzed drug use data from 55 tertiary children's hospitals in seven Chinese regions.
- Availability was assessed based on the percentage of hospitals stocking each medicine.
- Affordability was determined by comparing medicine copayment costs to regional per capita daily disposable income.
Main Results:
- Only 42.4% of essential pediatric anticancer medicines demonstrated both good availability and affordability.
- Fourteen medicines (42.4%) were available in less than 50% of surveyed hospitals.
- Significant regional variations were observed, with north-west China showing the lowest access rates (30.3%).
Conclusions:
- Access to essential anticancer medicines for children in China remains suboptimal and unevenly distributed.
- A substantial proportion of essential pediatric anticancer drugs face availability and affordability challenges.
- Urgent actions are needed to improve drug supply chains and reduce the financial burden on families.
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