Safeguarding human rights to health: a systematic review of supply chain impediments to safe medicines in developing nations
International Journal of Human Rights in Healthcare
ISSN: 2056-4902
Article publication date: 31 August 2023
Abstract
Purpose
A key feature of human rights in health is access to safe, effective and affordable medicines. Pharmacovigilance is advocated for monitoring intended/unintended effects of medicines to assure their safety. The purpose of this paper is to synthesize knowledge about supply chain impediments to safe medicines in developing nations and contribute to future development of research in this field.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper conducts a structured literature review based on Preferred Reporting Items for the Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. It aims at profiling supply chain impediments to safe medicines in developing nations by reviewing 46 recent pharmacovigilance-specific papers published between 2005 and 2020.
Findings
Analysis of reviewed articles identified criticality of supply chain impediments that affect constituents across pharmaceutical in developing nations, which still struggle to maintain robust national pharmacovigilance systems due to lack of awareness, policy and practices.
Research limitations/implications
Research results can be applied by pharmaceutical industry decision-makers and drug safety professionals in developing nations. Because the review is qualitative in nature, its implication ought to be tested after actual implementation.
Practical implications
This review can help identify underinvestigated impediments and methods to aid in developing new pharmacovigilance knowledge areas in developing nation context.
Social implications
The review uncovers gaps in global health equity dialogue in developing nations. It also recognizes that macrolevel supply chain impediments exist due to unfair disease burden and health inequities in developing nations.
Originality/value
The paper examines supply chain impediments to safe medicines in developing nations with insights for future pharmacovigilance research. Identifying and classifying supply chain impediments through this review is the first step toward creating effective interventions for these impediments to safe medicines.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors also gratefully acknowledge the intellectual contributions derived from the thoughtful suggestions of the editor and anonymous reviewers.
Parts of this research were initiated while the author was on sabbatical at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), USA. The contents of this paper are solely the responsibility of the author and do not necessarily represent the official view of the NIH.
Funding: This research was supported in part by a sabbatical leave and travel grant from the Lucas College of Business, San José State University, USA.
Conflicts of interest/Competing interests: The author has no potential conflicts of interest that are directly relevant to the content of this paper.
Ethics approval: Not applicable (Ethical approval for this type of study is not required by our institution).
Author contributions: Arvinder P.S. Loomba undertook all activities related to developing the article (including research conception and design, literature review, analysis, manuscript writing and submission).
Citation
Loomba, A.P.S. (2023), "Safeguarding human rights to health: a systematic review of supply chain impediments to safe medicines in developing nations", International Journal of Human Rights in Healthcare, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJHRH-05-2023-0036
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2023, Emerald Publishing Limited