Availability, use, and affordability of medicines in urban China under universal health coverage: an empirical study in Hangzhou and Baoji.

ABSTRACT:

Background

This study aimed to examine the availability, use, and affordability of medicines in urban China following the 2009 Health Care System Reform that included implementation of universal health coverage (UHC).

Methods

This longitudinal study was performed in Hangzhou (high income, eastern China) and Baoji (lower income, western China). Five yearly household surveys were conducted (one each year from 2009 to 2013) to evaluate the impact of UHC on medicines use and expenditure, and a health facility survey was conducted in 2013 to evaluate availability of medicines. A cohort of over 800 households in Hangzhou and Baoji was established in 2009, and 20 hospitals were included in the health facility survey. Medicines use was determined using data from health facility and

SUBMITTER: Huang Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5870255 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature