E-DRUG: WHOs Making medicines child size initiative and extemporanious compounding
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear E-druggers,
As a pharmacist practising in a pediatric hospital in a developing
country(kenya), the issue of access to medicines for children is of great
concern, especially so for medicines for high mortality and morbidity
diseases like malaria, Tuberculosis, HIV and AIDS. The WHO 'Make medicines
child size initiative' is therefore a much welcome one.
However, looking at the recommendation and targets for this initiative, i am
convinced that the fruits of this initiative will be realized in the long
term. What about the children who need these essential medicines right now?
I strongly feel that extemporanious compounding can bridge this gap. Whereas
compounding is practiced in certain centers, quality control issues abound.
Lack of trainning on the part of providers is also of key concern.
WHO,UNICEF and all interested parties should develop strategies to fill this
immediate access gap by empowering healthcare workers to compound medicines
that are not available in pediatric formulations, and equally important,
medicines that though available in pediatric formulations, are rare and
often too costly. Two strategies would suffice
1) Develop a trainning programme for pharmacy personel on extemporanious
compounding - lack of these skills is a reality in developing countries
2) Promote research initiatives into stable oral pediatric formulations that
are quality assured, and prepaired with suspenders that can be cost -
effectively obtained from the local communities
Your views on this, please.
Dr Barasa W. Edwine
Drug and Poisons Information Pharmacist
Gertrudes Garden Childrens Hospital
Nairobi, Kenya
E-mail: edwine.halton@gmail.com