Self-medication is predominant in Ghana, where one out of four lives outside a 15 km radius of a doctor. The cost of visiting a doctor is almost $10, one third of monthly per capita expense, as compared to $1.5 for self-medication. Simulated utilization patterns indicate that higher densities (doctors within 15 km) and more insurance (flat rate tax covering half of the health expense) could raise demand for doctors by 15-20%. The poor though continue to rely on self-medication. Medicines that are affordable and of certified quality could thus play a key supplementary role in health sector development.