Health Insurance Use Among Young Pharmacists in Nigeria
Author(s)
Cynthia C. Egbuemike, B.Pharm1, Azeez B. Aina, B.Pharm2, Lotanna V. Ezeja, B.Pharm3, Daniel N. Enenche, B.Pharm4;
1The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA, 2Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA, 3Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA, 4Evans Therapeutics Ltd, Lagos, Nigeria
1The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA, 2Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA, 3Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA, 4Evans Therapeutics Ltd, Lagos, Nigeria
Presentation Documents
OBJECTIVES: The National Health Insurance Authority Bill 2022 marks a paradigm shift in Nigeria's healthcare financing strategy. However, insurance uptake remains suboptimal among the public and healthcare providers. Evidence on health insurance utilization among young pharmacists in Nigeria is limited, with a recent study highlighting a high level of dissatisfaction regarding its adoption in their place of work. This study evaluated the demographic and socioeconomic factors affecting health insurance use among young pharmacists in Nigeria.
METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study using an online survey from November to December 2022 among young pharmacists (aged 21-35) practicing in Nigeria. Bivariate logistic regression was used to determine the association between insurance status and participant characteristics at a significance level of p < 0.05.
RESULTS: We assessed a total of 509 respondents, with the majority practicing in community (39.69%) and hospital (39.10%) settings. More than two-thirds of respondents (69.35%) had no health insurance, citing limited accessibility (32.29%) and insufficient knowledge of enrollment procedures (29.18%) as main barriers to enrollment. Among those with health insurance, private insurance plans were most common (52.56%), followed by the National Health Insurance Scheme (32.05%). Pharmacists with 5-10 years of work experience were more likely to have health insurance compared to those with less experience (OR=2.477, 95% CI: 1.313-4.671). Those in public organizations had a significantly lower likelihood of insurance coverage than their counterparts in private organizations (OR=0.423, 95% CI: 0.188-0.953). While variations in insurance coverage were observed across different practice settings, these differences were not statistically significant.
CONCLUSIONS: Low health insurance coverage among young pharmacists highlights significant barriers to insurance adoption. Targeted policies addressing accessibility and enrollment knowledge gaps are crucial for successful implementation of Nigeria's mandatory health insurance.
METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study using an online survey from November to December 2022 among young pharmacists (aged 21-35) practicing in Nigeria. Bivariate logistic regression was used to determine the association between insurance status and participant characteristics at a significance level of p < 0.05.
RESULTS: We assessed a total of 509 respondents, with the majority practicing in community (39.69%) and hospital (39.10%) settings. More than two-thirds of respondents (69.35%) had no health insurance, citing limited accessibility (32.29%) and insufficient knowledge of enrollment procedures (29.18%) as main barriers to enrollment. Among those with health insurance, private insurance plans were most common (52.56%), followed by the National Health Insurance Scheme (32.05%). Pharmacists with 5-10 years of work experience were more likely to have health insurance compared to those with less experience (OR=2.477, 95% CI: 1.313-4.671). Those in public organizations had a significantly lower likelihood of insurance coverage than their counterparts in private organizations (OR=0.423, 95% CI: 0.188-0.953). While variations in insurance coverage were observed across different practice settings, these differences were not statistically significant.
CONCLUSIONS: Low health insurance coverage among young pharmacists highlights significant barriers to insurance adoption. Targeted policies addressing accessibility and enrollment knowledge gaps are crucial for successful implementation of Nigeria's mandatory health insurance.
Conference/Value in Health Info
2025-05, ISPOR 2025, Montréal, Quebec, CA
Value in Health, Volume 28, Issue S1
Code
HPR39
Topic
Health Policy & Regulatory
Topic Subcategory
Health Disparities & Equity, Insurance Systems & National Health Care
Disease
No Additional Disease & Conditions/Specialized Treatment Areas