E-DRUG: Deadline approaching: MedIC Course on Medicines Policy Analysis, Ghana, November 2008
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Dear Colleagues
The deadline to apply for participation in the first MedIC Course
is Pharmaceutical Policy Analysis in Africa is rapidly approaching.
Space in the course is limited. Interested colleagues should submit
an application form (available here: [www.whoccpp.org/training/medic2008/course_overview.asp) as soon as possible. A proposal for insurance
programs and other organizations to sponsor their staff through
scholarships is also available on this site.
Sincerely,
Anita Wagner
The WHO Regional Office for Africa, the Noguchi Memorial Institute for
Medical Research in collaboration with WHO and the Ministry of Health
in Ghana, and the WHO Collaborating Center in Pharmaceutical Policy at
the Department of Ambulatory Care and Prevention of Harvard Medical
School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care announce the
Medicines and Insurance Coverage (MedIC) Initiative
([1]http://www.whoccpp.org/research/medic.asp)
Course in Pharmaceutical Policy Analysis
Accra, Ghana, 16-25 November 2008
Background
Medicines coverage through health insurance programs can be a
scaleable and sustainable means to improve access to and use of
medicines in Africa. Evidence-based medicines policy decision making
is required to achieve maximum benefits at affordable costs. We are
offering a unique 10-day course in medicines policy analysis.
The course is primarily intended for policy makers, analysts, actuaries,
and others involved in making medicines benefit decisions for
emerging or existing national and/or private health insurance systems
in African countries. We especially seek teams of 3-5 participants from
individual health insurance programs committed to active policy
assessment and implementation after the course. Others interested in
pharmaceutical policy issues in health systems may also benefit from
the course. To allow for effective group work, the maximum number of
participants will be 40.
Objectives
Participants will enhance skills to identify problems in medicines access
and use, and to design, implement, and evaluate medicines benefit
policies in health insurance systems.
Design
This highly interactive course will consist of small and large group case
discussions and small group hands-on analyses of health insurance
program data. During the course, participants will focus on a specific
medicines policy issue relevant to their country and system, and
develop a post-course plan to design and implement a policy
intervention to improve key outcomes. The course language is English.
Selected Topics
MedIC Course participants and facilitators will address a broad range of
questions that arise when making evidence-based medicines policy
decisions, including:
- Why extend coverage for medicines in health insurance programs?
- How can ARV medicines be covered by health insurance programs?
- Which groups of enrollees benefit most from expanded medicines
coverage?
- What are the advantages and disadvantages of specific medicines
policies?
- What is the best way to design, implement, and manage a formulary?
- How can routine medicines data be used to develop evidence-based
policies?
- How can insurance programs evaluate changes in medicines
coverage?
- What are the best measures for routine monitoring of medicines
policies?
Course Facilitators
The course will be led by a team of experienced facilitators who have
worked for two decades on improving use of medicines and who are
actively involved in evaluating medicines coverage policies in
developed and developing countries. Facilitators will include Drs. Anita
Wagner ([2]http://www.dacp.org/faculty_Wagner.html), Dennis
Ross-Degnan ([3]http://dacp.org/faculty_Ross-Degnan.html) and
Catherine Vialle-Valentin ([4]http://www.dacp.org/fellow_vialle.html)
from Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care;
Professor David Ofori-Adjei, Dr. Daniel Arhinful and colleagues from
Noguchi Memorial Institute as well as the MoH Ghana; and experts
from WHO.
Local Course Director:
Daniel Kojo Arhinful, PhD
Research Fellow
Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research
Phone: +233 21 501178/ 233 244 932139 (Cell)
E-mail: [5]darhinful@noguchi.mimcom.net
International Course Director:
Anita Wagner, PharmD, MPH, DrPH
Department of Ambulatory Care and Prevention
Harvard Medical School & Harvard Pilgrim Health Care
Phone: +1 617 509 9956
E-mail: [6]awagner@hms.harvard.edu
Tuition
The tuition for the course is US $2,000.00 per person. The tuition
covers the 10-day workshop, all training materials, computer use, lunch
and refreshments during the course, a welcome reception, a welcome
dinner, and a social event. Participants or their sponsors will be
responsible for round-trip airfare to Accra, costs for meals and
incidentals, and accommodation costs. A limited number of
scholarships may be available.
Logistics
The Course begins in the afternoon of Sunday, 16 November 2008 and
ends in the afternoon of Wednesday, 25 November 2008. The Course
will take place at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public
Administration (GIMPA) which also offers accommodations ($62 per
night). Participants need to make their own travel arrangements.
Information about hotel bookings will be provided to accepted
participants.
Participants from insurance programs will be requested to complete a
questionnaire about their programs prior to the course.
Registration and Tuition Payment
Completed registration forms
([7]http://www.whoccpp.org/training/medic2008/course_overview.asp)
from interested participants need to be received via mail, fax, or e-mail
by September 15, 2008. Payments by accepted applicants or their
sponsors need to be received by Friday, 31 October 2008. Space will
be limited and participants are encouraged to apply early. Information
about tuition payment procedures will be provided to accepted
participants.
For information about registration and scholarships please contact:
Mrs. Augustina Koduah, Local Coordinator, 2008 Ghana MedIC
Course in Pharmaceutical Policy Analysis, Phone: + 233 21 661670,
E-mail: [8]appidanq@yahoo.com and
[9]medicourse@noguchi.mimcom.net
Ms. Sarah Anne Lewis, International Coordinator, MedIC Courses in
Pharmaceutical Policy Analysis
Phone: +1 617 509 9989, E-mail: [10]sarah_lewis@hphc.org