[india-drug] [e-drug] Essential Drug Successes (cont'd)

[Hilbrand Haak <haakh@chd-consultants.nl>]

(High praise for the Delhi model in Edrug. Sent by Dr. Leela.???.SS)


E-drug: Essential Drug Successes (cont'd)
------------------------------------------

Richard,

I think any publication on essential drugs success stories should list
the experiences from Delhi State in India. In the early 1990's the
Minister of Health felt that the public sector budget for
pharmaceuticals was largely squandered for drugs that were far too
expensive and of poor quality. The approach that was used was
basically applying the lessons from 10-15 years of essential drugs
programmes in the world (evidence based selection, generics policies,
pooling of drug needs, good procurement practices, pre-qualification 
of suppliers, quality assurance, efficient distribution, together with 
active efforts to improve drug prescribing and use, etc). In short, all
the things we know, but which are not always applied for a variety of
reasons.

What impresses me most on this story was that the programme was
not led or imposed by donors, but inspired by common sense of a
State Minister of Health, who decided that he was not prepared any
longer to waste his drug budget, and that he was going to stop it. The
far as I know, no donor is funding this programme. The programme is
largely funded by the tremendous savings that it has generated! To
bypass government bureaucracy, an independent NGO (the Delhi
Society for Rational Use of Drugs - DSPRUD) was established to
implement all selected strategies. And with success (see publications
below).

For more information, see (please repair url):
- http://www.who.int/medicines/organization/par/briefing/
17pooled-procurement.ppt
 Chaudhurry, RR. (1999) Rational use of drugs: Delhi's change in
policy saves lives. Essential Drugs Monitor, 27: 2-4.

Hilbrand Haak
Consultants for Health and Development
-------------------------------------------
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Visit CHD's website at www.chd-consultants.nl


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