vi Access to Essential Medicines: State of Rajasthan, <strong>India</strong>, <strong>Survey</strong> <strong>Data</strong>, 2001
About SEAM Country Assessments In 2000, <strong>Management</strong> <strong>Sciences</strong> <strong>for</strong> <strong>Health</strong> (MSH) received a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to identify and test innovative approaches to address and ameliorate the lack of access to essential medicines in developing countries by increasing the participation of the private sector. Brazil (State of Minas Gerais), Cambodia, El Salvador, Ghana, <strong>India</strong> (State of Rajasthan), and Tanzania were identified as countries where SEAM would assess the feasibility of improving access as per the mandate of the Gates Foundation grant. These assessments were carried out between February and May 2001.As an integral part of the initiative, SEAM sought out local, private not-<strong>for</strong>-profit, academic, and other research organizations with expertise in health-services research to collaborate in the assessments, contributing to the adaptation of data collection instruments, sample selection, data collection, and analysis. The assessments included facility-based survey questionnaires, simulated client visits, and patient exit interviews. The present files include the data specifically from the following surveys and interviews. 1. <strong>Health</strong> facility survey. This includes in<strong>for</strong>mation on operations and supplier per<strong>for</strong>mance, prices paid and charged, and prescription and dispensing, as well as an inventory review of tracer items and collection of samples <strong>for</strong> product quality testing. Types of facilities to be include— � Medical stores/depots (central, regional, district) � Public health facilities (clinics and hospital outpatient departments) � Private not-<strong>for</strong>-profit clinics and hospitals (NGOs, church/mission, other) � Private <strong>for</strong>-profit facilities (hospitals and clinics) 2. Retail drug outlet survey. This includes in<strong>for</strong>mation on operations and supplier per<strong>for</strong>mance, an inventory review of tracer items and prices, and samples <strong>for</strong> product quality testing. 3. Sample of items <strong>for</strong> quality testing. Ten tablets of six to eight items were collected or purchased from each facility visited. 4. Exit interviews. Where relevant (i.e., in the outpatient department), exit interviews conducted with patients receiving a prescription. 5. Simulated client. <strong>Data</strong> collectors posing as clients or patients presented symptoms to dispensers in retail outlets to document prescribing/dispensing behavior. vii
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