Re: E-DRUG: Drug Policy Issues in Developing Countries

[Richard Laing <richardl@bu.edu>]

To E-Druggers,

I enclose information about the next Drug Policy Issues in Developing
Countries Course which will be held next year in February.

The first course held this year in March was very successful. The course was
attended by 38 people from 32 countries including 23 Chief Pharmacists and 5
Chief drug Regulators. What was special for me about the course was how much
I learned from the participants. We organized it in such a way that half the
time was spent in small group discussions so we were able to meet and really
get to know people from Africa, Asia Latin America and from the major
international organizations. I would welcome comments from e-druggers about
the course!

The course in 1997 will again be organized in collaboration with WHO/DAP but
will also be in collaboration with the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and
Allied Health Professions. This will strengthen the formal Pharmcay=
 component.

I hope this year we get more senior policy makers such as Permanent
secretaries, deputy Secretaries etc. We also expect to have more than the
one person from Industry that we had this year. However, this course is
particularly suited for any pharmacist who is now or expects to be in a
policy making or implementing role in the future.

If you have any questions about the course do please contact me. I hope that
some e-druggers will be able to obtain the required funding to participate.

Regards

Richard Laing

********************************************************

BOSTON UNIVERSITY
School of Public Health
Center for Internatinal Health
in collaboration with the
World Health Organization
and Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Allied Health Sciences
presents

DRUG POLICY ISSUES FOR DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
FEBRUARY 14-28, 1997

This two-week seminar is intended for policy makers and senior managers
responsible for pharmaceutical systems in developing countries, and for
senior officials of donor agencies.

The faculty is drawn from universities, the World Health Organization,
Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Allied Health Sciences, the US Food
and Drug Administration, and other agencies.

The seminar's workshop format will combine lectures, in-depth discussion of
case studies, field trips, and small-group exercises. Case studies and
background papers will be distributed to participants before arrival in
Boston.

Enrollment is limited to facilitate maximum interaction among participants
and between participants and faculty. The first seminar, in 1996, attracted
38 participants from 32 countries.

Over the last 15 years developing countries around the world have adopted
essential drug lists, national formularies, and standard treatment
guidelines. But national drug policies require more than drug lists; hard
choices have to be made.

In procurement and production, economies of scale often conflict with
support of domestic industries and protection of national sovereignty. Some
countries are privatizing aspects of their pharmaceutical services.
Controversy over regulation involves fundamental questions about trade
policy and intersectoral collaboration.

Once supply mechanisms function smoothly, rational use demands sustained
attention. How can we ensure that drugs are prescribed and used
appropriately? Is it possible to change ingrained usage patterns? Finally,
what methods most effectively assess how well a country's drug policy is
functioning?

The seminar will address these and other issues intensively. The highly
experienced and knowledgeable faculty will present up-to-date information
and examine the implications of alternative policy approaches. Participants
will also gain valuable insights from each other's experiences and
challenges.

Seminar Topics
*       Assessment of Drug Systems
Alternative approaches to assessment and monitoring. Methods and results of
assessment efforts by the World Health Organization and Management Sciences
for Health.

*       Developing and Implementing a National Drug Policy
Alternative methods of developing and implementing a national drug policy.
Components of drug policy. Case studies.

*       Selection, Formularies, and Treatment Guidelines
How different countries have developed essential drug lists, national
formularies, and treatment guidelines.

*       Procurement Issues
Procurement issues and options. Discussion of recent World Bank papers on
drug procurement.

*       Production Issues
Manufacture or purchase, locally or abroad? Subsidies to local industries.
Quality- control issues.

*       Quality Assurance
Different approaches to assuring quality in procurement, production, and=
 use.

*       Financing and Privatization Issues
Insurance, revolving funds, fee-for-service, and other financing options.
The privatization option.

*       Regulation and Legislation
Regulatory issues, legislation, and enforcement. Trade and protection
issues, including the international conference on harmonization efforts
(ICH) and GATT.

*       Human Resource Planning and Development
Assessing the numbers and training needs of pharmacists and pharmacy
technicians.

*       Intersectoral Collaboration
Overcoming barriers to collaboration among the multiple sectors involved in
national drug policies.

*       Promoting Rational Use of Drugs
Measuring and changing usage patterns. Sources of data. US and
international experiences of the Harvard Drug Policy Group, the World
Health Organization, and the International Network for the Rational Use of
Drugs.

Faculty
William J. Bicknell
Professor of Public Health and Director of the Center for International
Health, Boston University

Pascale Brudon
Scientist, Drug Action Programme, World Health Organization

Dennis Ross Degnan
Assistant Professor, Drug Policy Group, Harvard Medical School

Enrique Fefer
Regional Essential Drugs Advisor, Pan American Health Organization

Mervyn Hamer
Technical Director, PATH, Seattle

Hans Hogerzeil
Medical Officer, Drug Action Programme, World Health Organization

Richard Laing
Associate Director, Center for International Health, Boston University
School of Public Health

Robert McCarthy
Associate Professor, Masssachusetts College of Pharmacy and Allied Health
Sciences

Michael Montagne
Associate Professor, Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Allied Health
Sciences

Stuart Nightingale
Assistant Commissioner for Health Affairs, United States Food and Drug
Administration

Jonathan Quick
Director, Drug Action Programme, World Health Organization

Michael Reich
Professor, Harvard School of Public Health

Alan Sager
Professor of Public Health, Boston University School of Public Health

Jean Pierre Sallet
Deputy Director, RPM, Management Sciences for Health, Washington

Minor changes may be made in the faculty.

Richard Laing
Associate Director, Center for International Health

Seminar format
The seminar will meet from
9 a.m. to 5.00pm., Monday through Friday, with one afternoon free weekly.
There will be brief morning and afternoon breaks and a 90-minute lunch
break.


        Dr. Laing, the seminar director, will attend all sessions to
provide continuity. He and other faculty members will be available to meet
with participants individually and in small groups in the evening. There
will be field visits to hospitals and to independent and chain community
pharmacies. A prominent guest speaker will discuss contemporary issues
pertinent to the seminar at a dinner meeting. Participants will be awarded
a certificate for successful completion of the seminar.

Hotel accommodations are available within the seminar facility, the John
Hancock Executive Conference Center. The conference center is located in an
attractive and historic section of downtown Boston, convenient to shopping,

restaurants, and transportation. Single-occupancy rooms are $105 per night,
and include private bath, telephone, and television. The Hancock Center
offers 24-hour security. The cost of accommodations for 15 nights will be
about $1,575.

February in Boston is cool, with occasional rain and snow. The daytime
temperature averages 0-5=B0C.

$3,200   Tuition and materials
$1,575   Housing
$ 800    Meals and other expenses
$5,575   Total

Insurance
Basic medical insurance is included in the seminar fee. It will cover 80
percent of the cost of accidents and illnesses occurring during the seminar
but not pre-existing conditions. Participants may want to obtain additional
insurance.

Application for Admission
(To apply please e-mail us the following information.)

Name
Birthdate
Sex
Citizen of
Current professional position
Post-secondary degrees

Address
Home telephone
Work telephone
Fax
Internet

Please be aware that strong English language skills are necessary to
participate fully in this seminar.

Funding (If you will be funded by a sponsoring agency, please indicates:
Sponsor's contact person
Address
Telephone
Fax
Telex)

otherwise, indicate if you will be funded by family or friends, or if you
will be self-funded.

Housing (indicate one)
o I request housing at the John Hancock Center.
o I will arrange my own housing.

Please send this form and supporting documents by airmail, courier, e-mail
or fax to:
Dr. Richard Laing
Center for International Health
Boston University
53 Bay State Road
Boston, MA 02215-2101
USA
Telephone: 617-353-4524 Fax: 617-353-6330
Telex: 200191BUUR Internet: cih@bu.edu

BOSTON UNIVERSITY
Boston University's policies provide for equal opportunity and affirmative
action in employment and admission to all programs of the University.



Richard Laing                       	Tel (617) 353-6630
Department of International Health      Fax (617) 353-6330
School of Public Health,                e-mail richardl@bu.edu
Boston University,
53 Bay State Rd,
Boston
MA 02215 USA