E-DRUG: Drug Donations (cont)
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Dear colleagues,
I fully agree with Phillip. There are so many issues involved in the
receipt of donations which so many of you and of other colleagues don't
seem to understand. I think you really need to have personal experience to
appreciate the difficulties.
So much could be said, but let me just add one example to Phillip's mail.
When I was in Albania recently, the warehouse had been asked to accept
three containers (that's a lot) of medical supply from a religious group in
another country, partly because of some connections to Albania. At the same
time they also received a large consignment of the same bad quality from
another country.
The warehouse manager was very unhappy, and the goods are likely to just be
stored until somebody decides to dispose of it.
Why? Because the goods arrived without packing lists in boxes containing a
variety of items and looking rather messy (I have pictures to prove it!).
Much of it was stoma bags, belts, plates etc., nothing fitting together and
all of it unknown to the Albanians. And lots of other items such as
plasters and even some disposable patient care set (imagine the volume!)
There are two things we try with donations: to price them (see point 11 in
the guidelines), and to give them an item code in order to keep a track and
for accounting purposes. E.g. the warehouse will later have to account for
all donations leaving the warehouse in order not to be accused of diverting
them to the private sector.
In this case the manager neither has the staff nor the knowledge to do
this.
Regards Kirsten
Kirsten Myhr, MScPharm, MPH
Bygdoy alle 58B
0265 Oslo, Norway
Tel: +47 22 56 05 85
myhr@online.no
[Thanks, Kirsten for that personal experience. Any more? WB]
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