E-DRUG:QUAMED: Institute of Tropical Medicine (ITM) program to improve medicine quality.
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Whilst patients in prosperous countries can generally trust the quality of medicines available to them, a significant majority of the population in less developed countries run the risk of receiving poor quality medicines. There are a variety of reasons behind this difference: the lack of resources available to regulatory authorities in developing countries; the growing complexity and globalization of the pharmaceuticals market; the increasing pressure put on prices at the expense of a clear definition of the quality standards required; the lack of publicly available and transparent information concerning medicine quality.
Although the problem of counterfeit medicines has been the subject of an increasing number of global initiatives, inadequate consideration is still given to the problem regarding sub-standard medicines. Yet sub-standard medicines have at least an equally negative impact on the health of vulnerable groups of the population as counterfeit medicines.
Concerned about this growing phenomenon, 15 NGOs, international organizations and African procurement centers* joined forces via QUAMED, a program from Antwerp's Institute of Tropical Medicine, financed by the Belgian Development Cooperation (DGD) and ECHO. Its objective is to improve the quality of medicines dispensed by the partner organizations and, on the basis of this pilot scheme, to create supply models that are adapted to the healthcare programs and systems of the South. To that end, QUAMED:
- Audits manufacturers, distributors and evaluates national pharmaceutical "markets" with regard to the quality standards laid down by the WHO;
- Trains its partners in the selection of products and suppliers and in how to manage the quality of their supplies (Quality Assurance);
- Urges donors and authorities to reinforce mechanisms aimed at guaranteeing the quality of medicines travelling to and around developing countries;
- Carries out research activities, in conjunction with academic partners, to document the phenomenon and strengthen its advocacy work;
- Makes a database available to its partners containing products, manufacturers, distributors and pharmaceutical markets that have been assessed by its group of pharmacists who are experts in Quality Assurance.
This double-standard (one "for the rich" and one "for the poor") is unacceptable and QUAMED fully intends to keep up the fight to ensure that everyone, regardless of where they live, has the right to access medicines of suitable quality; in other words, medicines which are guaranteed to be identified, harmless and effective.
For further information on QUAMED, you can visit our website: www.quamed.org
Christophe Luyckx - QUAMED Coordinator
Institute of Tropical Medicine | Nationalestraat, 155 | 2000 Antwerpen
cell: +32 (0)473 65 52 09 | office +32 (0)3 247 65 95
fax: +32 (0)3 247 65 32
web: www.quamed.org | www.itg.be
email: cluyckx@itg.be