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Improving Access to Essential Medicines for Mental, Neurological, and Substance Use Disorders in Sub-Saharan Africa Workshop Summary (2014) / Chapter Skim
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6 Perspectives on Next Steps
Pages 87-92

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From page 87...
... • Integration of patient- and family-oriented training into existing community-based programs to develop an informed population about MNS disorders and treatment outcomes. • Reduction or removal of policy limitations on which levels of health care providers can prescribe medications and which medications they can prescribe, leading to an increased number of available prescribing providers.
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From page 88...
... • Increased training of supply chain staff on logistic manage ment information systems and all levels of health care pro viders about supply chains and logistics. • Increased allocation of human resources for supply chains and inclusion of supply chain workers in determining needs for health care systems.
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From page 89...
... CONSIDERATIONS FOR MOVING FORWARD In the final session, individual workshop participants discussed the practicalities of drawing attention to and beginning to take action on the four challenge areas of insufficient demand, inappropriate selection, ineffective supply chains, and high pricing and poor financing. Hans Hogerzeil reiterated that SSA is made up of regions, countries, and people of many different languages and cultures, and there is no onesize-fits-all approach for access to essential medicines for MNS disorders.
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From page 90...
... . Although the focus of the workshop was improving access to medicines to treat MNS disorders, individual workshop participants discussed the broader challenge of increasing access to MNS treatment and care.
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From page 91...
... CLOSING COMMENTS Although it was acknowledged that the challenges associated with improving access to essential medicines for MNS disorders have been discussed for decades, many participants believe there is an opportunity now to conduct an all-inclusive exploration and develop system-wide solutions to the barriers impacting access to MNS medicines. The strategies discussed by many workshop participants may help
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From page 92...
... Lastly, applying global knowledge from other chronic disease areas, sharing best practices that can be adapted to a country's policies, and leveraging existing systems may offer additional insights on potential solutions. As potential next steps, a few participants discussed the value of developing a toolkit that countries could use to assess their individual country needs and inform their decisions and system improvements.
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Key Terms

  • participants discussed
  • supply chain
  • essential medicines
  • supply chains
  • demonstration projects

  • improving access
  • key stakeholders
  • address mns
  • treat mns
  • mns disorder

  • individual workshop
  • potential solutions
  • strategies discussed
  • ineffective supply
  • address access

  • participant noted
  • systemic change
  • disorder outcomes
  • challenges associated
  • mns treatment

  • mns programs
  • mns medicines
  • national mns
  • disseminated widely
  • outcomes linked

  • potential options
  • chain programs
  • discussed demonstration
  • poor financing
  • increased training


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