【文章摘要】Objectives: Spatial equity is one of the essential indicators to measure service capacity of pharmacies. Previous studies have measured spatial equity of pharmacies by comparing pharmacy density, without explicitly incorporating any measures of spatial dimension. Data used in the past made it difficult to investigate pharmacies comprehensively within large geopolitical units, and was also untimely. Therefore, this study attempts to construct a pharmacy density index that takes into account a spatial dimension to investigate the geographical equity of pharmacies, supported by big data. Methods: We constructed a Pharmacy Density Index (PDI) based on the Health Resource Density Index (HRDI). Based on 66,143 pharmacies’ Points of Interest (POI), we used a pharmacy-population ratio and PDI to investigate spatiotemporal patterns of pharmacies in China. Results: Our results indicated that POI effectively mitigates difficulties in data acquisition, and is suitable for surveys within large geographic boundaries. PDI integrates both population distribution and geographic distribution, showing great potential to assess spatial equity of medical facilities. Furthermore, the results indicated that from 2008–2018 the number of pharmacies per 10,000 residents increased from 0.5 to 3, with more than 85% of cities meeting or exceeding the standard recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO). However, we also observed regional inequalities in terms of spatial distribution characteristics of pharmacies. Conclusion: We recommend that policymakers should apply PDI to measure local medical service capacity and use multiple sources of data to better triangulate and evaluate the equity of pharmacies.
【文章信息】Xiao, X., Li, J.Z., Wang, Y.X., Xue, B.*, Uncovering spatiotemporal pattern and geographical equity of pharmacies in Chinese cities from 2008 to 2018 [J]. Health Policy and Technology. 2022, 11(4): 100691.
Fig. Technology Roadmap