Essential drugs management
Viable pharmaceutical services are a core component of functioning health services and therefore of the success of all health strategies. Medicines are central to combating HIV and AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, and other communicable diseases, and the majority of non-communicable diseases.
Since 2003, poor countries are able to import cheaper generic medicines made under compulsory licensing if they are unable to manufacture the drugs themselves; this resulted from the WTO's revision of the 2001 Doha TRIPS (intellectual property) and public health agreement. However, the efficient management of medicines is notoriously difficult, and drug supply fails for many reasons. The WHO has developed a framework for collective action to ensure equitable access to essential drugs. This framework includes rational selection, affordable prices, sustainable financing and a reliable health and supply system.
The following list of resources has been chosen to help those with a professional need to develop this aspect of their work using relevant, good quality information. The list connects with WHO's work on essential drugs, and many of the references are documents produced by the Essential Drugs and Medicines Policy Department - generally accepted as the global reference point for best practice on this subject.
- Global health partnership impact on commodity pricing and security
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This report, from the DFID Health Resource Centre (HRC), examines the impact of structures embedded within Global Health Partnerships (GHPs) on commodity pricing and security. The report: identifies market structures; traces the various functions of each GHP; considers what effect these functions have on supplier cost, competition and purchaser leverage; and identifies achieved outcomes for commodity pricing and security.
Recommended readings
- How to develop and implement a national drug policy (second edition)
- ( World Health Organization , 2001)
- Essential drugs have a crucial role to play in health care. Since the World Health Organization published its guidelines for developing national drug policies in 1988, significant changes have occurr...
- Equitable pricing of newer essential medicines for developing countries: evidence for the potential of different mechanisms
- ( C. Grace / World Health Organization , 2003)
- The disease burden in developing countries is large and growing, but funds to tackle it are limited. Differential drug pricing is one way to increase access to essential medicines. A study commissione...
Latest Additions
- Why developing countries should not agree to TRIPS-plus data exclusivity measures
- ( Community Health Cell, Society for Community Health Awareness, Research and Action , 2007)
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This document contains 3 separate papers dealing with the issue of “data exclusivity”, a term that refers to new “TRIPS-plus” measures that some governments, especially the ...
- Problems with the provision of pain-relief drugs to HIV patients in Africa
- ( R. Harding;R.A. Powell;F. Kiyange / African Palliative Care Association , 2007)
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This report from the African Palliative Care Association (APCA) identifies a number of problems with the delivery of pain-relief drugs to people with HIV and AIDS receiving palliative care in Afric...
- HIV and palliative care in Africa: developing a communty-based response
- ( World Health Organization , 2004)
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This report from the World Health Organisation (WHO) identifies community health programmes as the key element in responding to the palliative care needs of those affected by cancer, HIV and AIDS i...
