E-drug: More information on Gates Foundation grant to MSH
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The post ascribed to Michael Gabra in issue #199 contains a newspaper
press release from September 5 that was not particularly intended for
posting here. It was written for lay audiences, but our colleagues on
E-drug may be interested in more details.
The main focus of the Gates/MSH drug management program that was
announced on September 5 will be support for innovative country-level
public-private collaborations to increase access to important drugs
and vaccines. Multi-year project opportunities in two or three
countries will be sought which will promote local private sector
collaboration with public health programs to improve accessibility
and use of drugs and vaccines. Country projects may involve any or
all of the following components:
� Development and pilot implementation of a franchise system for
distribution of essential drugs and vaccines through retail outlets;
� Technical assistance to implement private sector collaboration in
logistics systems that manage public health goods;
� Technical assistance to implement pooled procurement programs that
incorporate private sector services in support of public health
programs;
� Develop locally-appropriate pharmacy benefits management programs,
helping public health programs, insurers and major employers to
contract effectively with private health care providers for access to
drugs and vaccines;
� Test and implement programs aimed at improving quality of care and
use of essential drugs in retail outlets;
� Identify and implement mechanisms to increase access to reliable
information on the appropriate selection and use of drugs and
vaccines by public and private health care providers and consumers;
� Help to identify ways to involve the local private sector in
developing effective systems to monitor drug product quality and
identify and resolve product quality problems.
Identification of participating countries will be based on local
public and private sector interest and capacity, on need in terms of
measurable gaps in access and equity, and on the potential for
significant and sustainable changes in response to the program
components listed above. In consultation with country policy makers
and interested agencies such as WHO, USAID, DANIDA, and the World
Bank, four to six countries will be identified for collaborative
assessment. The assessments will measure (1) current status of
access to essential drugs and vaccines (2) public and private
pharmaceutical sector capacity and interest, and 3) the potential and
probability of significant and sustainable impact. From these
countries, two or three country projects will be identified. The
nature of the individual country projects will be determined in
consultation with local public and private officials and with
international agencies working on drug management reforms in those
countries. An international Technical Advisory Group will be convened
to advise on issues such as identification of country opportunities
and content of country projects.
MSH will not be the implementing agency for country-level reforms -
we will help country level public and private policy makers and
program managers to identify the best options for change and will
help to implement the changes that are selected by those responsible
within the country. Credit for projects that do make a difference
will belong to the local people who actually make them happen.
In addition to the country projects, the Gates/MSH program will work
in two other areas:
1) Technical support to Gates-supported and other global health
initiatives to help ensure that appropriate drug management
mechanisms are incorporated to maximize their field impact. Any
technical support we provide will be based on requests from leaders
of those initiatives and provided in consultation with the various
international agencies involved in them. We will not be barging into
any of these initiatives on our own, but the funding does support our
technical involvement if it is requested.
2) Design, test and disseminate, via the internet, various tools
including manuals, training materials and drug management software,
building on worldwide experience including tools that have already
been developed and tested by MSH. These activities will be managed in
close consultation with the country projects, with users of current
MSH tools, and with agencies active in international drug management
work such those mentioned above and many others with whom we
regularly collaborate.
MSH will continue to collaborate with the many agencies and partners
who are working to improve access to and use of medicines and
vaccines throughout the world. We want to make it clear that MSH is
not setting up a new independent global initiative nor are we
planning to compete in any way with any other agency or initiative
involved in this area. We hope and expect that this new program will
foster continued collaboration toward the common goal of improving
access and equity.
I hope we'll be working with many of you during the course of these activities.
Jim Rankin
Drug Management Program
Management Sciences for Health
"JIM RANKIN" <JRANKIN@msh.org>
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