An assessment of nursing mothers’ and young people’s access to proprietary and patent medicine vendors’ services in rural communities of south-eastern Nigeria: implication for review of national drug policy

This study sought to determine how Patent and Proprietary Medicine Vendors (PPMVs) influence access to medicines among nursing mothers and young people and how this progresses South Eastern Nigeria towards universal health coverage. A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted using a purposive sampling technique. Two slightly different pre-tested and validated 5-point Likert scale questionnaires were used. In conclusion, this paper addressed that PPMVs are bridging the gap in healthcare delivery in the rural and underserved areas. Training of this group of practitioners and appropriate monitoring will go a long way in ensuring that the services they render are efficient, effective and improve the health indices in a low-income setting.

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Uneke, C. J, Igwe C. O, Bilikis I. U, Adanna U, Chidiebere A.N, Otubo, K. I, and Uguru, O. E. An assessment of nursing mothers’ and young people’s access to proprietary and patent medicine vendors’ services in rural communities of south-eastern Nigeria: implication for review of national drug policy. J of Pharm Policy and Pract 14, 92 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40545-021-00334-7