Journal of Research in Pharmacy Practice

Pharmaceutical strategic purchasing requirements in Iran: Price interventions and the related effective factors

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

. Peivand Bastani 1
. Rasoul Dinarvand 2
. Mahnaz SamadBeik 3
. Kimia Pourmohammadi 1

1 Department of Health Service Management, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran

2 Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

3 Department of Health Information Technology, Lorestan University of Medical Sciences, Khorramabad, Iran

Abstract
Objective: Pharmaceutical access for the poor is an essential factor in developing 
countries that can be improved through strategic purchasing. This study was conducted 
to identify the elements affecting price in order to enable insurance organizations to 
put strategic purchasing into practice.
Methods: This was a qualitative study conducted through content analysis with an 
inductive approach applying a five‑stage framework analysis (familiarization, identifying 
a thematic framework, indexing, mapping, and interpretation). Data analysis was started 
right after transcribing each interview applying ATLAS.ti. Data were saturated after 32 
semi‑structured interviews by experts. These key informants were selected purposefully 
and through snowball sampling.
Findings: Findings showed that there are four main themes as Pharmaceutical Strategic 
Purchasing Requirements in Iran as follows essential and structural factors, international 
factors, economical factors, and legal factors. Moreover, totally 14 related sub‑themes 
were extracted in this area as the main effective variables.
Conclusion: It seems that paying adequate attention to the four present themes and 
14 sub‑themes affecting price can enable health system policy‑makers of developing 
countries like Iran to make the best decisions through strategic purchasing of drugs by 
the main insurers in order to improve access and health in the country.

Keywords

Insurance organization
Iran
pharmaceutical
price
resource allocation and  purchasing arrangements
strategic purchasing
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Journal of Research in Pharmacy Practice
Volume 5, Issue 1
Winter 2016
Pages 35-42

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