IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/socmed/v143y2015icp17-25.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Social support in the practices of informal providers: The case of patent and proprietary medicine vendors in Nigeria

Author

Listed:
  • Sieverding, Maia
  • Liu, Jenny
  • Beyeler, Naomi

Abstract

The social and institutional environments in which informal healthcare providers operate shape their health and business practices, particularly in contexts where regulatory enforcement is weak. In this study, we adopt a social capital perspective to understanding the social networks on which proprietary and patent medicine vendors (PPMVs) in Nigeria rely for support in the operation of their shops. Data are drawn from 70 in-depth interviews with PPMVs in three states, including interviews with local leaders of the PPMV professional association. We find that PPMVs primarily relied on more senior colleagues and formal healthcare professionals for informational support, including information about new medicines and advice on how to treat specific cases of illness. For instrumental support, including finance, start-up assistance, and intervention with regulatory agencies, PPMVs relied on extended family, the PPMVs with whom they apprenticed, and the leaders of their professional association. PPMVs' networks also provided continual reinforcement of what constitutes good PPMV practice through admonishments to follow scope of practice limitations. These informal reminders, as well as monitoring activities conducted by the professional association, served to reinforce PPMVs' concern with avoiding negative customer health outcomes, which were perceived to be detrimental to their business reputations. That PPMVs' networks both encouraged practices to reduce the likelihood of poor health outcomes, and provided advice regarding customers' health conditions, highlights the potential impact of informal providers' access to different forms of social capital on their delivery of health services, as well as their success as microenterprises.

Suggested Citation

  • Sieverding, Maia & Liu, Jenny & Beyeler, Naomi, 2015. "Social support in the practices of informal providers: The case of patent and proprietary medicine vendors in Nigeria," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 143(C), pages 17-25.
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:143:y:2015:i:c:p:17-25
    DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2015.08.037
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0277953615300897
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.socscimed.2015.08.037?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. George, Asha & Iyer, Aditi, 2013. "Unfree markets: Socially embedded informal health providers in northern Karnataka, India," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 96(C), pages 297-304.
    2. Lyon, Fergus, 2000. "Trust, Networks and Norms: The Creation of Social Capital in Agricultural Economies in Ghana," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 28(4), pages 663-681, April.
    3. May Sudhinaraset & Matthew Ingram & Heather Kinlaw Lofthouse & Dominic Montagu, 2013. "What Is the Role of Informal Healthcare Providers in Developing Countries? A Systematic Review," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 8(2), pages 1-12, February.
    4. Sloan, Frank A., 2000. "Not-for-profit ownership and hospital behavior," Handbook of Health Economics, in: A. J. Culyer & J. P. Newhouse (ed.), Handbook of Health Economics, edition 1, volume 1, chapter 21, pages 1141-1174, Elsevier.
    5. Cross, Jamie & MacGregor, Hayley Nan, 2010. "Knowledge, legitimacy and economic practice in informal markets for medicine: A critical review of research," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 71(9), pages 1593-1600, November.
    6. Barr, Abigail, 2000. "Social Capital and Technical Information Flows in the Ghanaian Manufacturing Sector," Oxford Economic Papers, Oxford University Press, vol. 52(3), pages 539-559, July.
    7. Zuwarimwe, J. & Kirsten, Johann F., 2010. "The role of social networks in development of small-scale enterprises in the Chimanimani district of Zimbabwe," Agrekon, Agricultural Economics Association of South Africa (AEASA), vol. 49(1), pages 1-22, March.
    8. Marcel Fafchamps, 2002. "Returns to social network capital among traders," Oxford Economic Papers, Oxford University Press, vol. 54(2), pages 173-206, April.
    9. Bloom, Gerald & Standing, Hilary & Lloyd, Robert, 2008. "Markets, information asymmetry and health care: Towards new social contracts," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 66(10), pages 2076-2087, May.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Onah, Michael Nnachebe & Horton, Susan, 2018. "Male-female differences in households' resource allocation and decision to seek healthcare in south-eastern Nigeria: Results from a mixed methods study," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 204(C), pages 84-91.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Mezgebo, Taddese, 2014. "Beyond Extended Phenotype Evolution of extended identity in order to reconcile study of humanity with biological evolution," MPRA Paper 54392, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    2. Abdul Azeez E P & G. Anbu Selvi & Garima Sharma & Senthil Kumar A P, 2021. "What attracts and sustain urban poor to informal healthcare practitioners? A study on practitioners' perspectives and patients' experiences in an Indian city," International Journal of Health Planning and Management, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 36(1), pages 83-99, January.
    3. Emma Howard, 2017. "Social networks, geographic proximity, and firm performance in Vietnam," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2017-69, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    4. Azunre, Gideon Abagna & Amponsah, Owusu & Takyi, Stephen Appiah & Mensah, Henry & Braimah, Imoro, 2022. "Urban informalities in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA): A solution for or barrier against sustainable city development," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 152(C).
    5. Getahun Fenta Kebede, 2018. "Social Capital and Entrepreneurial Outcomes: Evidence from Informal Sector Entrepreneurs in Ethiopia," Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Emerging Economies, Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India, vol. 27(2), pages 209-242, September.
    6. Gopesh Anand & Dilip Chhajed & Shailja Shah & Salla Atkins & Vishal Diwan, 2019. "Do qualifications matter? A qualitative study of how villagers decide their health care providers in a developing economy," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 14(8), pages 1-12, August.
    7. Sommarat Chantarat & Christopher Barrett, 2012. "Social network capital, economic mobility and poverty traps," The Journal of Economic Inequality, Springer;Society for the Study of Economic Inequality, vol. 10(3), pages 299-342, September.
    8. Christopher Boudreaux & George Clarke & Anand Jha, 2022. "Social capital and small informal business productivity: the mediating roles of financing and customer relationships," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 59(3), pages 955-976, October.
    9. Andrew McNee, 2012. "Illuminating the local: can non-formal institutions be complementary to health system development in Papua New Guinea?," Development Policy Centre Discussion Papers 1215, Development Policy Centre, Crawford School of Public Policy, The Australian National University.
    10. Gautham, Meenakshi & Spicer, Neil & Chatterjee, Soumyadip & Goodman, Catherine, 2021. "What are the challenges for antibiotic stewardship at the community level? An analysis of the drivers of antibiotic provision by informal healthcare providers in rural India," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 275(C).
    11. Durlauf, Steven N. & Fafchamps, Marcel, 2005. "Social Capital," Handbook of Economic Growth, in: Philippe Aghion & Steven Durlauf (ed.), Handbook of Economic Growth, edition 1, volume 1, chapter 26, pages 1639-1699, Elsevier.
    12. Emma Howard, 2017. "Social networks, geographic proximity, and firm performance in Vietnam," WIDER Working Paper Series 069, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    13. Natalia Guerrero & Oswaldo Molina & Diego Winkelried, 2020. "Conditional cash transfers, spillovers, and informal health care: Evidence from Peru," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 29(2), pages 111-122, February.
    14. Jean-Philippe BERROU & François COMBARNOUS, 2008. "Ties configuration in entrepreneurs’ personal network and economic performances in African urban informal economy," Cahiers du GREThA (2007-2019) 2008-25, Groupe de Recherche en Economie Théorique et Appliquée (GREThA).
    15. Henrik Egbert, 2009. "Business Success Through Social Networks? A Comment on Social Networks and Business Success," American Journal of Economics and Sociology, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 68(3), pages 665-677, July.
    16. Kibrom A. Abay & Goytom A. Kahsay & Guush Berhane, 2018. "Social Networks and Factor Markets: Panel Data Evidence from Ethiopia," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 54(1), pages 174-190, January.
    17. Sujatha, V., 2023. "Of informal practitioners of biomedicine. The interplay of medicine, economy and society in India," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 317(C).
    18. Getahun Fenta Kebede, 2020. "Network Locations or Embedded Resources? The Effects of Entrepreneurs’ Social Networks on Informal Enterprise Performance in Ethiopia," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 11(2), pages 630-659, June.
    19. Das, Nimai & Sarker, Debnarayan, 2008. "Social Capital and Network Externalities: Evidence from Gender Sensitive JFM Programme in West Bengal," MPRA Paper 15232, University Library of Munich, Germany.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:143:y:2015:i:c:p:17-25. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/315/description#description .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.