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Management of Drug Supply in Developing Countries 25 Pharmacists Successfully Complete Training Course / First Training Seminar Organised by the GPHF and Mainz University / Further Training Courses Scheduled „The pilot seminar was a complete success, and planning for further seminars starts tomorrow", summarizes Dr Gabriele Küsters, Chairwoman of the German Pharma Health Fund e.V. (GPHF), the results of the first training seminar for pharmacists entitled "Management of Drug Supply in Developing Countries". The seminar, organised in co-operation between the GPHF, an initiative of German researchbased pharmaceutical companies, and the Pharmaceutical School of Mainz University, had been attended by 25 pharmacists from nine countries. All participants successfully passed the final examination. This positive view of the seminar which had been organised under the auspices of the Federal Ministry of Health, was unanimously shared by the participants: "A very good overview", "a wealth of helpful information" or simply "a really great seminar", these are just some of the comments on the practical usefulness of the training course. During the five-day seminar held in Oberursel, in the hills north of Frankfurt am Main, the topics on the agenda ranged from the hazards generated by drug counterfeits through special purchase programmes constituting part of public calls for tenders, to the appropriate storage of medicaments, thus covering all aspects of the management of drug supply in developing countries. The objective of the seminar was to bundle pharmaceutical, economic and legal aspects into an overall concept, and to complement this with practical knowledge about the particular conditions and requirements of drug supply in developing countries.
Broad Support The seminar content was imparted both by scientists and representatives from authorities, and by representatives of pharmaceutical companies and development aid organisations with many years’ experience in this field. The list of lecturers included experts from Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (a German development bank), of Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit (German Service Enterprise for Development Co-operation), of Bundesinstitut für Arzneimittel und Medizinprodukte (Federal Institute for Medicines and Medical Products), of Malteser Hilfsdienst (a relief organisation), of Apotheker ohne Grenzen (Pharmacists without Frontiers), of Deutsches Institut für Ärztliche Mission (German Institute for Medical Mission), of Schering AG and of Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH. The final examination was set by experts from Zentrallaboratorium der Deutschen Apotheker (Central Laboratory of German Pharmacists) who also examined the participants. In his introductory comments, Professor Dannhardt, Executive Director of the Pharmaceutical School of Mainz University, emphasized that drug supply in developing countries constitutes a comprehensive and demanding management task requiring much more than just standard pharmaceutical knowledge. Dannhardt, having developed the training concept in close co-operation with the seminar leader, Dr Richard Jähnke from the GPHF, particularly stressed that drug quality is the indispensable prerequisite of all and any drug therapies – specifically in developing countries. Political Representatives Praised the Organisers’ Commitment The organisers’ commitment was explicitly praised not only by the Federal Ministry of Health but also by the Federal Ministry of Economic Co-operation and Development and by the Federal State of Rhineland-Palatinate. In his welcoming address, the state Prime Minister, Kurt Beck, praised the co-operation between the GPHF and Mainz University as an exemplary model of a Public Private Partnership (PPP): "Within a short period and in an unbureaucratic manner, the organisers not only managed to develop a promising idea, but also to successfully realise it."
Further Seminars in Preparation The GPHF is planning to organise further seminars in co-operation with Mainz University. In this respect, the organisers hope for even better participation from PhD students, pharmaceutical trainees and pharmacology students from developing countries near completion of their courses of study who plan to return to, and work in, their home countries, as pharmacists. In this connection, Dr Carola Fink-Anthe, Deputy Chairwoman of the GPHF, considers the success of the pilot seminar as the best publicity: "I am confident that word of the quality and the practical use of this event will soon spread to the pharmacology departments of the universities." Detailed information on the content of the seminar and the dates of upcoming events scheduled can be requested from the GPHF office.
Interview: "Making a Valuable Contribution to Improving Drug Supply"
The GPHF has organised the first-ever training seminar on the management of drug supply in developing countries. After the course, Dr Gabriele Küsters, Chairwoman of the GPHF, commented on the objectives and perspectives of this new GPHF project: What is the objective of this GPHF training seminar? "Complementing our projects covering the battle against drug counterfeits and the co-ordination of drug supplies, this project is to make a valuable contribution to a qualitative improvement of the drug supply in developing countries." How would you summarise the results of this first seminar? "The results are clearly positive. In particular, the reactions of the participants indicate that the content imparted is right, and that this seminar fulfilled a long-felt need." Will you organise further seminars? "I am very confident that we will. In particular, we will take into account the many valuable recommendations and comments received from participants at the pilot course." What is your target group? "We specifically target participants from developing countries who are studying in Germany and wish to return to their home countries to work as pharmacists. These are the people who will make the most valuable contribution to improving drug supply management in these countries."
Four of Twenty-five: Some Personal Impressions Lawrence C. Uba, Fatima Bicane, Farukh Mehrabani and Thorsten Gödicke, four of the 25 participants of the first GPHF training seminar entitled "Management of Drug Supply in Developing Countries", summarise their impressions: Lawrence C. Uba, pharmacology student from Marburg, who will soon return to his home country of Nigeria: "This week was very successful and I was able to make numerous new contacts. I very much hope to capitalise on this knowledge in my home country of Nigeria." Fatima Bicane, pharmacist at Bonn University: "Participation was worthwhile from both personal and professional points of view. I received a wealth of detailed new information which I will share with my colleagues at the University." Farukh Mehrabani, Pharmacist from Iran taking his PhD degree at Mainz University: "The seminar dealt with many important topics. A central aspect for me were financing issues. I even had the spontaneous idea to found a relief organisation in my home country in order to help improving drug supply." Thorsten Gödicke, pharmacology student and working member of Apotheker ohne Grenzen Deutschland e.V.: "In the course of the seminar, I not only became aware of the global context of drug supply but also of many new perspectives. Right now, I will be able to use the wealth of information I received in my work for Pharmacists without Frontiers."
Sleeping Sickness: Bayer Provides Medicine Free of Charge Bayer AG, a member company of the GPHF, and the World Health Organisation (WHO) have concluded an agreement on donation of the Bayer medicine named Germanin (agent: suramin) used for fighting sleeping sickness. This lethal disease, also known as African Trypanosomiasis, threatens in particular the inhabitants of Central and Western Africa. Sleeping sickness is passed on by blood parasites, so-called trypanosoma that are in turn transmitted by the tsetse fly. „Our objective is to efficiently support the WHO’s battle against sleeping sickness that threatens almost 60 million people in Africa“, explains Dr Wolfgang Plischke from Bayer following the official signing of the agreement by representatives of the WHO and of Bayer in Leverkusen. Bayer has confirmed its commitment to provide the WHO with this medicine free of charge for an initial period of five years. The drugs will be supplied to the WHO which – in consultation with experts – will forward them to the countries concerned. Apart from this, Bayer is also involved in the „Pan African Trypanosomiasis and Tsetse Eradication Campaign“ (PATTEC) launched in July 2002. The objective of this initiative is to eradicate the carrier insect of the sleeping sickness.
Drug Donations: DGKM Signs Joint Declaration The Deutsche Gesellschaft für KatastrophenMedizin e. V. (DGKM, German Society for Catastrophy Medicine) has signed the Joint Declaration entitled “Good Drug Donation Practice in Germany” initiated by the GPHF. This declaration defines the basic principles pursuant to which drugs will be provided both in emergency situations and as part of regular development-aid programmes. This declaration is based on the „Revised Guidelines for Drug Donations“ published in 1999 by the World Health Organisation. The declaration has already been signed by the German Red Cross (DRK, Deutsches Rotes Kreuz), the German Institute for Medical Mission (Deutsches Institut für Ärztliche Mission, DIFÄM), the German Drug-Donation Organisation action medeor (Deutsches Medikamenten-Hilfswerk action medeor e.V.), Malteser Hilfsdienst e.V. and Pharmacists without Frontiers (Apotheker ohne Grenzen Deutschland e.V.). On the basis of this declaration, the GPHF also offers to co-ordinate drug donations made by its members for urgent humanitarian emergency situations. Detailed information is available from the GPHF website at www.gphf.org, section “Drug Donations in Emergencies”.
GPHF Information Conference Postponed The GPHF information conference “Health Promotes Development” scheduled for December 10, 2002 in Berlin had to be postponed. This conference will take place early in 2003. On this occasion, international health experts and representatives of the pharmaceutical industry will inform the audience on new ways for improving the health-care services in developing countries. The particular focus of this event will be the presentation and the perspectives of co-operative efforts made by public and private organisations within so-called Public Private Partnerships. The conference addresses in particular politicians, representatives of development-aid organisations, representatives of the pharmaceutical industry and journalists. More detailed information on the conference programme and the new date scheduled will shortly be available from the GPHF office via the Internet (www.gphf.org).
GPHF-Minilab® I: Positive Response to GPHF Lecture The participation of the GPHF in the Global Forum on Pharmaceutical Anticounterfeiting, organised in September in Geneva, met with a very positive response. Besides explaining the success story of the GPHF minilab, Dr Gabriele Küsters (Aventis), the Chairwoman of the GPHF, talked about the long-standing, multi-facetted efforts of the GPHF to create and enhance awareness of health hazards caused by drug counterfeits.
GPHF-Minilab® II: New Manual Available The colour-reaction tests for the ten new agents that can meanwhile be analysed using the GPHF-Minilab® are now available in a new manual which can be obtained from the GPHF office. Recently, the test methods of the minilab have been extended to the following agents: artesunate, cefalexin, quinine, ciprofloxacin, ethambutol, glibenclamid, griseofilvin, mefloquine, pyrazinamide and salbutamol. The GPHF-Minilab® can now be used for testing a total of thirty of the most common drug agents worldwide.
Thanks to Donors On this occasion, the GPHF would like to thank the following donors for their generous support of its project work this year:
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