Price and affordability of key essential medicines for children in Sri Lanka, a lower-middle-income country: comparison of two national cross-sectional surveys done 8 years apart

OBJECTIVE: To describe the price and affordability of key essential medicines for children in the private sector in Sri Lanka in 2017/2018, and compare the findings with 2009 data. DESIGN: National cross-sectional descriptive survey using the WHO/Health Action International medicine price methodology. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Data were collected from a representative sample of 54 private sector pharmacies selected from all 9 provinces in Sri Lanka using a multistage clustered approach. MAIN OUTCOMES: Median price ratio (MPR) and affordability of originator brand (OB) and lowest priced generics (LPG) of 25 key essential medicines for children. RESULTS: The median MPR was 2.69 for OBs and 1.45 for LPGs compared with 3.7 and 1.35 in 2009. MPR of OB of all but one (chlorphenamine syrup) were higher than that of the LPG. MPR-OB>5 was observed for ceftriaxone injection, amoxicillin capsule, mebendazole chewable tablet and metronidazole tablet. This was documented in 2009 as well except for amoxicillin capsule. Prices of LPGs of seven medicines (amoxicillin capsule, amoxicillin suspension, clotrimazole cream, mebendazole chewable tablet, metronidazole tablet) were estimated as excessive (MPR ≥2.5) compared with chlorphenamine syrup, clotrimazole topical cream, ibuprofen syrup and paracetamol syrup in 2009. Compared with 2009, MPRs of OBs of 8 medicines and LPGs of 12 medicines were higher in 2017/2018. Compared with 2009, no change in affordability was noted except for asthma, which has been assessed as affordable in 2017/2018. Standard drug therapy for mild lower respiratory tract infections and acute gastroenteritis remained affordable, and treating epilepsy with carbamazepine syrup remained unaffordable. CONCLUSION: Economic access to key essential medicines for children has not improved in Sri Lanka in the 8 years’ time since the initial survey in 2009.