Medicines Prices and Availability in Primary Health Cares, Hospitals and Retail Pharmacies in DKI Jakarta

Background: National Institute of Health Research and Development conducted medicines prices and availability from 2004 to 2012. The survey results show that more than 90% of medicines prices were still higher than International Reference Price. In addition, the availability of medicines in private sectors was better than in public sectors. There were several of essentials and generic medicines with low availability. The study aims to update the medicines prices and availability in health facilities. Methods: The study conducted in 6 area of DKI Jakarta: Central, East, West, South and North of Jakarta and Kepulauan Seribu. The study method follows the method developed by WHO and Health Action International. Samples are 22 items of essentials medicines that were collected from hospitals, retail pharmacies and primary health cares. Data collected based on structured questionnaire and observation. Results: In general the medicines prices were still higher than International Reference Price. Some of them could be more than 100 times higher There were less/not changing in medicines prices pattern compared to the results survey in 2010 and 2004. Conclusion: There were wide variations between medicine prices from one and other health facilities, public versus private sectors. The best availability of medicines were in public hospitals (83.3%), then in private health facilities (80.6%) and then in primary health (57%). Recommendation: The government needs to make arrangements to the drug prices so that it would be more rational and affordable as well as increasing the availability of medicines at the Primary health cares.