3 Data Collection Procedures

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Data collection procedures

Presentation template for adaptation and use in medicine prices and

availability survey training workshop for survey personnel

Review all slides carefully for applicability to your survey before use!

Medicine prices and availability survey

Training workshop

Location, dates


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Preparing for data collection

Key activities for area supervisors:1. Schedule data collection visits

2. Prepare Medicine Price Data Collection

forms needed for field visits3. Prepare information materials and tools

for data collectors

4. Arrange for regular communications


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1. Planning data collection visits

Who? Area supervisors

Contact (ideally in person, or by phone) each sampleoutlet and back-up facility to seek permission for datacollection

Introduce the survey and its objectives

Use the letters of endorsement and introduction provided bythe survey manager

Stress that individual medicine outlets will not be identified inthe results

If medicine outlet refuses to participate, alert surveymanager who will contact the outlet directly, and ifnecessary, provide you with a alternative outlet

Luckily, this rarely happens


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Planning data collection visits (continued)


Make appointments for data collection visits, avoiding peakhours of activity

Plan for 1-2 hours for each data collection visit, plus travel time

Prepare a schedule for each pair of data collectors, including: Date and time of each visit

Name, number, sector, and contact person for each medicine outlet

Address and location of each medicine outlet

Contact information for back-up facility to be visited if < 50% of

medicines are available Call each facility and confirm appointment the day before


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Date and

time of

appoint

ment

Name of

medicine

outlet

Contact

person

Location Sector Number Back-up outlet

name and

contact details

March

23rd,

13h00

ABC

Pharmacy

Mrs.

Nguyen

45 Main

Street

private 01 Main St.

Chemist

59 Main

Street

Eastern

City

Mr. Shah

Survey Area:Eastern Region

Sample schedule for data collection team


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2. Preparing Medicine Price Data Collection forms


Medicine list and data collection form will be

finalized by survey manager after pilot test

Make enough copies of the data collectionform for each sample facility, back-up facility,

and validation visit

Data collection forms should preferably becolour-coded by sector

Complete front page of each form


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To be

completed

by area

supervisors

before datacollection

visit


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3. Prepare materials for data collectors

Who? Area supervisor

1. A list of data collection teams and contact information

2. The contact details of their area supervisor, including a mobile phonenumber to call in case of difficulty in the field

3. A schedule of visits to survey sites

4. The contact details of the sites to be visited

5. Details of back-up facilities to be visited if scheduled visits are notpossible, or less than 50% of the medicines are available

6. Copies of letter(s) of endorsement and letter of introduction7. Relevant handouts or instruction sheets

8. A Medicine Price Data Collection form for each sample medicine outlet tobe visited that day

9. A Medicine Price Data Collection form for each back-up site that mayneed to be visited that day

10. A calculator for calculating the unit price of medicines

11. Pens (pencils should not be used to record data), a clipboard and othersupplies

12. A notebook to record any significant events or findings

13. Field allowance for local expenses


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4. Arrange for regular communications


Provide data collectors with a mobile phone and

phone number where they can contact you

during data collection Arrange to meet with data collectors at the end

of each day of data collection


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Data Collection

Who? Data collectors

Before going out to collect data each day: Check that you have all necessary materials for data collection

On arrival at the medicine outlet:

introduce yourself and present the letter(s) of endorsement andthe letter of introduction.

Check that information about the medicine outlet on Page 1 ofthe data collection form is correct

Enter the following information on Page 1 of the data collectionform:

Date

Name(s) of the person(s) who provided information

Names of data collectors


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To be

completed

by data

collectors

during datacollection

visit


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Data Collection (continued)

Who? Data collectors

Collect data with the aid of the person in charge at the facility Fill in the Medicine Price Data Collection Form (1 per outlet)

If customers arrive, pause the survey and let them be served

Never leave the local data collection form at a

medicine outlet to be filled in later!

Before leaving the facility:

Check that data collection form is legible, accurate and complete

Check whether less than 50% of medicines were available at the outlet. Ifso, contact the area supervisor who will instruct you on visiting a back-up

facility

At the end of each day of data collection:

Meet with your area supervisor

Submit completed data collection forms and report back on your activities


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At the end of each day of data collection


Meet with data collectors to collect completed forms and resolve anyproblems encountered

Review each data collection form completed that day: to make sure they are complete and legible

to verify missing or suspicous information to make sure that a back-up facility has been visited if fewer than 50% of

medicines were available in a sample outlet

Uncertain or illegible data should be checked with data collectors, mayneed to re-contact medicine outlet to clarify

Sign the first page of each form to record that it has been checked, butonly once you are sure that data is complete, legible and there are noobvious mistakes


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Validation of data collection


Validate data by re-conducting the survey in 20% of public andprivate sector outlets. If there are 5 public outlets and 5 private

outlets per survey area, conduct validation in:

one public medicine outlet per survey area

one private medicine outlet per survey area

Select medicine outlets for validation at random

Conduct the validation visits on the same day as the visits to

these outlets by data collectors

After collecting data, compare your results to those of datacollectors. Resolve any mistakes and discuss with data

collectors


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Calculation of unit prices

Who? Data collectors and area supervisors

Unit price is the price per cap, tab, ml, dose, gram, etc.oral: price per capsule or tablet, NOT per box or strip

inhalers: price per dose, NOT per inhaler

liquids: price per ml, NOT per bottle

Unit price = price of pack / pack size

During data collection, data collectors may need to calculateunit prices of some medicines to identify the lowest priced

generic Area supervisors calculate unit prices for all medicines after

data collection

Any unit prices calculated by data collectors should be

double checked by the area supervisor


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For each product, divide the Price of Pack Found (Column H) by the Pack Size

Found (Column G).

Retain at least four digits after the decimal point.

Enter the calculated unit prices in Column I and double-check the calculations.

E.G: Unit price for lowest price generic amitriptyline = 3.80 /110 = 0.0345

Amitriptyline Cosmos

No

Yes 110 0.0345

Out of stock

3.80


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Storing completed data collection forms


Completed forms should be copied and stored in

waterproof plastic bags in the field

Originals should be stored in a separate location

from copies All original data collection forms, including those for

validation visits (label clearly!), should be

transferred to the survey manager upon completion

of fieldwork

Area supervisors should retain the copies for use in

the event that the originals become lost or damaged

Documents

3 Data Collection Procedures