Activities

the Phenix Center for Sustainable Development convened a specialized validation session to present and review the preliminary findings of its study titled "Enhancing Access to Medicines and Healthcare in Jordan." The event brought together nearly 40 experts and specialists in health policy, including representatives from official institutions, civil society organizations, healthcare providers, researchers, and other stakeholders invested in health affairs.

During the session, Ahmad Awad, the Phenix Center's Director, opened the proceedings by presenting the study's key preliminary results. He explained that the research examines the reality of access to medicines within the public health sector, with a particular focus on medications for non-communicable diseases and the experiences of groups most vulnerable to difficulties in accessing treatment. In this context, the study is grounded in the principle that obtaining medication is a fundamental component of the right to health; it posits that healthcare services are incomplete if a patient, after diagnosis and consultation, cannot obtain the appropriate medicine at the required time, in the right quantity, quality, and at a suitable cost.

In his opening remarks, Ahmad Awad highlighted that the preliminary findings reveal a significant gap between the availability of medicines recorded in central warehouses and supply chains and patients' actual ability to obtain them at hospitals and health centers. This discrepancy, he noted, stems from challenges related to needs assessment, distribution logistics, supply delays, and weak information-sharing mechanisms. Furthermore, the results indicate that shortages are often temporary or localized, manifesting as the unavailability of a specific drug at a particular facility or the dispensing of only a portion of a prescription. Compounding this issue, patients frequently receive limited information regarding the duration of the interruption or the available therapeutic alternatives.

From a policy and legal perspective, Senator Dr. Suhad Al-Jundi, a member of the Senate's Health and Environment and Population Committee, discussed the findings in terms of public policy, the right to health, and social justice. She underscored the urgent need to develop long-term policies that consider the needs of low-income families, the elderly, persons with disabilities, refugees, the uninsured, and residents of remote areas. Additionally, she stressed the importance of fostering integration between pharmaceutical security, local pharmaceutical manufacturing, and the pursuit of universal health coverage.

In turn, Dr. Reem Al-Habahbeh, Director of Procurement and Supply at the Ministry of Health, provided an overview of the Ministry's current operations concerning needs assessment, drug procurement, supply, and inventory management. She also outlined the primary challenges facing the Ministry, including ensuring supply continuity, managing distribution, settling financial obligations, and securing suitable pharmaceutical alternatives for patients.

The session featured an in-depth discussion of the study's proposed findings and recommendations. Key points of consensus included the urgent necessity to establish a unified electronic system linking central warehouses with all health facilities, improve the accuracy of needs forecasting, and develop specific indicators to measure patients' actual capacity to receive their prescribed medications. Participants also called for measures to enhance funding stability, facilitate the redistribution of inventory between facilities, and promote public awareness of the rational use of medicines to reduce waste and misuse. Ultimately, the participants unanimously affirmed the importance of integrating the feedback raised during the session into the final version of the study, viewing this as a critical step towards formulating more efficient, equitable, and responsive health policies that genuinely meet patient needs.