Browsing by Author "Laing, Richard O"

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    Effect of Novartis Access on availability and price of non-communicable disease medicines in Kenya: A cluster-randomised controlled trial
    (Elsevier, 2019) Rockers, Peter C; Laing, Richard O; Ashigbie, Paul G
    Novartis Access is a Novartis programme that offers a portfolio of non-communicable disease medicines at a wholesale price of US$1 per treatment per month in low-income and middle-income countries. We evaluated the effect of Novartis Access in Kenya, the first country to receive the programme.Methods We did a cluster-randomised controlled trial in eight counties in Kenya. Counties (clusters) were randomly assigned to the intervention or the control group with a covariate-constrained randomisation procedure that maximised balance on a set of demographic and health variables. In intervention counties, public and non-profit health facilities were allowed to purchase Novartis Access medicines from the Mission for Essential Drugs and Supplies (MEDS). Data were collected from all facilities served by MEDS and a sample of households in study counties. Households were eligible if they had at least one adult patient who had been diagnosed and prescribed medicines for one of the non-communicable diseases targeted by the programme: hypertension, heart failure, dyslipidaemia, type 2 diabetes, asthma, or breast cancer. Primary outcomes were availability and price of portfolio medicines at health facilities, irrespective of brand; and availability of medicines at patient households. Impacts were estimated with intention-to-treat analysis. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT02773095).
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    Evaluation of pharmaceutical industry led access programmes: A standardised framework
    (BMJ Publishing Group, 2019) Rockers, Peter C; Laing, Richard O; Scott, Nancy
    Pharmaceutical industry-led access programmes are increasing in number and scope worldwide. We present a new standardised framework for evaluation of these programmes that includes three components: a taxonomy of 11 access programme strategies; a series of logic models, one for each strategy and a set of measurement indicators. The logic models describe pathways of potential programme impact. Concepts relevant across a broad range of strategies were prioritised for inclusion in logic models to ensure consistency and to facilitate synthesis and learning across programmes. Each concept has at least one corresponding measurement indicator with metadata that includes the definition, details on how it should be measured and recommended data sources. The framework establishes a shared language for the collection and reporting of meaningful industry-led access programme information.
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    Phone-based monitoring to evaluate health policy and program implementation in Kenya
    (Oxford University Press, 2021) Ashigbie, Paul G; Rockers, Peter C; Laing, Richard O
    Monitoring and evaluating policies and programs in low- and middle-income countries are often difficult because of the lack of routine data. High mobile phone ownership in these countries presents an opportunity for efficient data collection through telephone interviews. This study examined the feasibility of collecting data on medicines through telephone interviews in Kenya. Data on the availability and prices of medicines at 137 health facilities and 639 patients were collected in September 2016 via inperson interviews. Between December 2016 and December 2017, monthly telephone interviews were conducted with health facilities and patients. An unannounced in-person interview was conducted with respondents to validate the telephone interview within 24 h. A bottom-up itemization costing approach was used to estimate the costs of telephone and in-person data collection. In-depth interviews were conducted with data collectors and respondents to explore their perceptions on both modes of data collection.