Medisyneverbruik in Suid-Afrika (MUSA)

OVERVIEW

The Niche Area: Medicine Usage in South Africa (MUSA) is located within the School of Pharmacy. MUSA’s research and postgraduate training focus on the appropriate use of medicine by patients in both the public and private health care sectors in South Africa, including factors that may influence the usage of medicine positively and negatively. Because medicine is not a general commodity, pharmacists - with their unique knowledge and competencies -  should be involved in the total process from concept to the reality of medicine usage. MUSA is also the only research entity in the Faculty of Health Sciences to focus on the financial aspects of health care delivery, specifically medicine cost. This makes the research entity very relevant seeing that the South African Health Care System faces the following problems:

• Fast growing health care expenditure of which medicine consumes a large part.
  
• The burden of health care cost regarding the treatment of chronic diseases and national threatening diseases (e.g. HIV, tuberculosis, etc.).
  
• A lack of access to essential medicine.
  
• Problems with use, misuse or non-appropriate use of medicine.

RESEARCH

MUSA aims to enhance the appropriate use of medicine in South Africa. The overall goal of MUSA is to investigate (appropriate) medicine usage patterns in both the public (with special emphasis on the North West Province) and private health care sectors in South Africa. MUSA also aims to provide postgraduate training to build capacity in pharmaceutical research and to promote future advances in this area of research.

Core competence and research expertise

The core competence and research expertise of MUSA consist of pharmaceutical care, medicine utilisation review, pharmaco-epidemiology and pharmacy practice related aspects regarding the standard and availability of pharmaceutical services in both the private and public health care sector.

IMPLEMENTATION OF EXPERTISE  

Non-profit activities related to core business

Community engagement

Members of MUSA are currently involved in two community service projects in the Dr Kenneth Kaunda Municipal District regarding quality assurance for the management of asthma and diabetes at primary health care clinics.

Commercial activities related to core business

Expert advisory services

Members of MUSA are providing expert advisory services to the South African Pharmacy Council regarding:

• The development of a professional fee for services for which a pharmacist may levy a fee.
  
• The continuous evaluation of the standard of pharmaceutical services provided by registered pharmacies in both the public and private health care sector in South Africa.
  
• Changes in the availability, affordability and sustainability of pharmaceutical services (pharmacies) in SA and the possible application of GIS technology.

Alliances with private and public sectors

Alliances with the following departments and institutions exist:

• North West Department of Health: Pharmaceutical services – Various research projects are implemented in primary health care clinics and hospital pharmacies.
  
• Mediscor Pty (Ltd) – Pharmacy Benefit Management Company – Providing medicine claims data from the private health care sector for drug utilisation studies.
  
• South African Pharmacy Council – MUSA provides expert advisory services to the SAPC regarding the development of a professional fee structure for pharmacists, standard of pharmaceutical services provided in registered pharmacies and the availability, affordability and sustainability of registered pharmacies in SA.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Office of the Coordinator:
Prof Martie Lubbe
E-mail:  Martie.Lubbe@nwu.ac.za
Tel:  (018) 299 2288 
Fax: (018) 299 4244