Prerequisites for enhancing the pharmaceutical component of medical care for patients with cardiovascular diseases in the Republic of Tajikistan

The Republic of Tajikistan ranks first globally in mortality from cardiovascular diseases (CVD), underscoring the urgent importance of improving pharmaceutical access to high-quality and safe medications for its citizens.
This study aims to analyze Tajikistan's state policies on healthcare provision for patients with circulatory system disorders, to assess mortality data for this group of patients, and to review the legal framework for pharmaceutical supply to identify prerequisites for improving pharmaceutical support in medical care for cardiovascular disease patients, considering international practices.
Material and methods. The study analyzed statistical data from the Agency for Statistics of the Ministry of Health and Social Protection of the Republic of Tajikistan, as well as national legal regulations on healthcare for non-infection diseases and pharmaceutical activities. Methods of content analysis, systematization, generalization, and descriptive statistics, with MS Office Excel 2017 were used.
Results. The government of Tajikistan has developed and implemented a well-defined healthcare policy, including measures to combat non-infection diseases. From 2019 to 2023, circulatory system disorders have been the leading cause of mortality in Tajikistan, with ischemic heart disease (IHD) at the forefront, as in many other countries worldwide. There was an increase in mortality among patients with CVD over the past 5 years by 18.7% (15,026 people), and hospital mortality rates from IHD and hypertension also increased in the Khatlon and Gorno-Badakhshan regions of the Republic of Tajikistan. Among the effective measures to improve pharmaceutical support is the new edition of the Law of the Republic of Tajikistan «On Medicines, Medical Products, and Pharmaceutical Activities.»
Conclusions. An analysis of Tajikistan’s healthcare policies, implementation efforts, and legal framework has been conducted. It was found that in recent years, numerous organizational and managerial decisions have been made, with all National Programs for treating and preventing non-communicable diseases fully implemented, although no new programs have been introduced. The main prerequisites for improving the pharmaceutical component of medical care for patients with cardiovascular diseases have been identified, taking into account international experience: the lack of an up-to-date National Strategy for the Health of the Population of the Republic of Tajikistan and existing social National programs that take into account the challenges of the present, the country’s capabilities and international experience; outdated approaches to the functioning of the pharmaceutical healthcare sector of the Republic of Tajikistan (the principle of providing medicines rather than patient-oriented pharmaceutical care); limited range of drugs registered in the Republic of Tajikistan for the treatment of CVD, which reduces the population’s access to rational drug therapy.

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