Selected Topics - Pharmaceutical Drugs

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Events

• School of Public Health and Community Medicine, UNSW - Upcoming Events

Global policies and related documents

• Global public action in health and pharmaceutical policies: politics and policy priorities
  "This paper analyses and discusses global public action in the context of global health policies. It discusses how public action on pharmaceuticals has influenced on the one hand global health, and on the other the institutional basis of global health governance. It argues that while nongovernmental public action has been effective in terms of influencing agenda-setting in global policies, its role in influencing solutions to the problems has been more limited. In contrast to trade policies, more substantial changes have taken place within global health policies and global health governance. Furthermore, some of the directions supported by global public action may not be conducive to the democratic accountability of global health governance, the wise use of public resources, health systems development, and longer term access to health care within developing countries."
• WHO Essential Medicines and Pharmaceutical Policy

Reports, guidelines and projects

• A Patent Pool for Medicines: More medicines
  "Around three million people living with AIDS in developing countries have access to treatment, a ten-fold increase in just a few years. A key factor in this dramatic achievement was the availability of low-cost drugs produced in India, the pharmacy of the developing world. Companies there could produce AIDS drugs generically because the country did not grant medicine patentsuntil2005.However, this is now changing. India has begun granting patents on medicines to meet its obligations under the 1994 World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS).The prices of newer essential medicines are likely to rise, threatening the viability of many AIDS treatment programmes – and access to medicines more broadly. An international patent pool for essential medicines could help address this looming crisis." [published by Médecins Sans Frontières in February 2009]
• Essential medicines and human rights: what can they learn from each other?
  Most countries have acceded to at least one global or regional covenant or treaty confirming the right to health. After years of international discussions on human rights, many governments are now moving towards practical implementation of their commitments. A practical example may be of help to those governments who aim to translate their international treaty obligations into practice. WHO’s Essential Medicines Programme is an example of how this transition from legal principles to practical implementation may be achieved. This programme has been consistent with human rights principles since its inception in the early 1980s, through its focus on equitable access to essential medicines. This paper provides a brief overview of what the international human rights instruments mention about access to essential medicines, and proposes five assessment questions and practical recommendations for governments. These recommendations cover the selection of essential medicines, participation in programme development, mechanisms for transparency and accountability, equitable access by vulnerable groups, and redress mechanisms. [author abstract] [published in the Bulletin of the World Health Organization 2006; 84: 371-375.]
• How do drug policy makers access research evidence?
  Background: Policy decisions are informed by a number of factors: politics, ideology and values, perceived public opinion, and pragmatic constraints such as funding. Research evidence is also used to inform decision-making but must compete with these other inputs. Understanding how policy makers access research evidence may assist in encouraging greater use of this evidence. This study examined the sources of research evidence that Australian government drug policy makers accessed when faced with their most recent decision-making opportunity. Method: Drug policy makers across health and police government portfolios were interviewed (n = 31) and asked to report on the sources of research evidence used in their most recent decision-making. Results: Nine sources were reported, the most frequent of which were seeking advice from an expert and consulting technical reports. Accessing the internet, using statistical data and consulting policy makers in other jurisdictions were used in about half the cases. The least frequently used sources were academic literature, relying on internal expertise, policy documents and employing a consultant. Conclusion: There is a tension between the type of information source most suited to policy makers – simple, single-message, summative and accessible – and the types of information produced and valued by researchers — largely academic publications that are nuanced and complex. Researchers need to consider the sources that policy makers use if they wish their research to be utilised as one part of policy making. [author abstract] [published in International Journal of Drug Policy 20,1 (2009): 70–75]
• Is access to essential medicines as part of the fulfilment of the right to health enforceable through the courts?
  Background: Most countries in the world have become States parties to one or more international human rights treaties, thus creating an obligation by the State to its people towards the realisation of the right to health, which includes access to essential medicines. But whether such access is enforceable in practice is unknown. Methods: We did a systematic search to identify completed court cases in low-income and middle-income countries in which individuals or groups had claimed access to essential medicines with reference to the right to health in general, or to specific human rights treaties ratified by the government. We identified and analysed 71 court cases from 12 countries in which access to essential medicines was claimed with reference to the right to health. Findings: In 59 cases, access to essential medicines as part of the fulfilment of the right to health could indeed be enforced through the courts, with most coming from Central and Latin America. Success was mainly linked to constitutional provisions on the right to health, supported by the human rights treaties. Other success factors were a link between the right to health and the right to life, and support by public-interest non-government organisations. Individual cases have generated entitlements across a population group, the right to health was not restricted by limitations in social security coverage, and government policies have successfully been challenged in court. Interpretation: Skilful litigation can help to ensure that governments fulfil their constitutional and international treaty obligations. Such assurances are especially valuable in countries in which social security systems are still being developed. However, redress mechanisms through the courts should be used as a last resort. Rather, policymakers should ensure that human rights standards guide their health policies and programmes from the outset. [authors' abstract] [published in Lancet 2006; 368: 305–11]

Educational resources

• EuroDURG (European Drug Utilization Research Group)
  This website provides a comprehensive list of global Internet addresses related to pharmacology, such as university departments, institutes and research centres of pharmacology; pharmacovigillance centres; international organizations and medicines regulatory agencies; scientific societies and professional organizations; databases and educational resources of pharmacology; publishers and journals; pharmaceutical industry; and evidence-based medicine.
• PharmWeb - rich resources on pharmacy and pharmaceutical studies

Organisations and Networks

• EssentialDrugs.org
  "An electronic conference to allow health professionals to share information in the field of essential drugs. Colleagues in developing countries often cannot afford to communicate by telephone or facsimile. And normal postal services are often too slow and unreliable. Many have already discovered the usefulness of electronic mail as an affordable tool for communication."

UN and multinational

Government

• National Medicines Policy: Quality Use of Medicines (Australia)
  Australia has a well established policy on the quality use of medicines (QUM). The aim of the policy is to improve the way medicines are prescribed and used, to ensure better health outcomes for all Australians. The policy focuses on an evidence based approach, with an emphasis on appropriate, safe and efficacious use. The management of QUM initiatives is a major priority of the Department's program. Development and implementation of the Australian policy on quality use of medicines is being achieved through a partnership approach, with advice provided by the Pharmaceutical Health and Rational use of Medicines Committee (PHARM).
• Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) (Australia)
  "The TGA carries out a range of assessment and monitoring activities to ensure therapeutic goods available in Australia are of an acceptable standard with the aim of ensuring that the Australian community has access, within a reasonable time, to therapeutic advances."

Non Government

• Access to Essential Drugs - a global campaign launched by Doctors Without Borders (Médecins Sans Frontières)
• Health Action International
  "A non-profit, global network of health, development, consumer and other public interest groups in more than 70 countries working for a more rational use of medicinal drugs. HAI represents the interests of consumers in drug policy and believes that all drugs marketed should be acceptably safe, effective, affordable and meet real medical needs."
• Institute for Safe Medication Practices (USA)
  "A nonprofit organization that works closely with healthcare practitioners and institutions, regulatory agencies, professional organizations and the pharmaceutical industry to provide education about adverse drug events and their prevention. The Institute provides an independent review of medication errors that have been voluntarily submitted by practitioners to a national Medication Errors Reporting Program (MERP) operated by the United States Pharmacopeia (USP) in the USA. Information from the reports may be used by USP to impact on drug standards. All information derived from the MERP is shared with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and pharmaceutical companies whose products are mentioned in reports. The Institute is an FDA MEDWATCH partner and regularly communicates with the FDA to help to prevent medication errors. The Institute encourages the appropriate reporting of medication errors to the MEDWATCH Program."
• International Society for Pharmacoepidemiology
  "A non-profit international professional membership organization dedicated to promoting pharmacoepidemiology, the science which applies epidemiologic approaches to studying the use, effectiveness, value and safety of pharmaceuticals."

Academic Institutions with particular focus in this area

Key Conferences, conference and workshop reports

Coming conferences

Conference reports

Journals, Newsletters, Forums

• European Journal of Clinical Pharmacology - "The European Journal of Clinical Pharmacology publishes original papers, short communications, and letters to the editors on all aspects of clinical pharmacology and drug therapy in humans. Coverage includes therapeutic trials; pharmacokinetics; drug metabolism; adverse drug reactions; drug interactions; all aspects of drug development; prescribing policies; pharmacoepidemiology; and matters relating to the safe use of drugs."
• International Journal of Drug Policy - "The International Journal of Drug Policy provides a forum for the dissemination of current research, reviews, debate, and critical analysis on drug use and drug policy in a global context. It seeks to publish material on the social, political, legal, and health contexts of psychoactive substance use, both licit and illicit. The journal is particularly concerned to explore the effects of drug policy and practice on drug-using behaviour and its health and social consequences. It is the policy of the journal to represent a wide range of material on drug-related matters from around the world."
• Journal of Clinical Pharmacy and Therapeutics - "The Journal of Clinical Pharmacy and Therapeutics provides a forum for clinicians, pharmacists and pharmacologists to explore and report on issues of common interest. Its scope embraces all aspects of drug development and drug use, including: rational therapeutics; evidence-based practice; safety, cost-effectiveness and clinical efficacy of drugs; drug interactions; formulation of medicines; pharmacogenetics; drug prescribing; and clinical pharmacokinetics."

Bibliographies, Libraries

Public health bookshops

• Public Health bookshop