E-drug: What Motivates Drug Donations? (cont'd)
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I fully support Dr. Lexchin's suggestion that we institute a proactive
system. I also agree that recipients may be reluctant to report
inappropriate donations, out of a perception, justified or not, that if
they don't take the bad, they'll see less of the good.
When conditions are rough, it's hard to be particular. I visited a Serb
village clinic in Kosovo a few months ago with AmeriCares. They had
nothing except injectable Lasix and a few miscellaneous pills. The
doctor in charge would have accepted virtually anything we offered.
We had only a few basics with us, because our job was to ask what
was needed, whereupon we would undertake to fill her order on the
next flight. Meanwhile, we gave a few cases of things anyone can use
(Tums, for example), that we'd brought along, courtesy of the Belgian
Air Force and SmithKline Beecham. Anyway, asking that doctor to
report bad donations would have been like asking a parched man to
reject a flat Coke.
Still, we should pursue the idea of making the reporting of bad
donations analogous to the reporting of ADEs. Agreed, we should not
put all the responsibility on recipients. Another possible mechanism:
When NGOs or MOH staff visit a clinic, they could ask to take a look
at the drug inventory and inquire if anything came unannounced and
unrequested or with short dating. On finding evidence of such
questionable donations, jot down the product's name, manufacturer or
distributor, lot number and expiration date. Send it off to WHO, me
(address below) and IFPMA, and let us follow up.
I have the impression that some countries (the UK, perhaps?) at one
time would pay cash for ADE reports. Does anyone know if that's true
and if it works?
James B. Russo
Executive Director
The Partnership for Quality Medical Donations
146 Koenig Road
Bernville, PA 19506
USA
610 488 8303
610 488 7036 (fax)
e-mail: JBRusso@aol.com
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