INDICES> Health Information Forum: Access to reliable drug information

["Dr N.M.Pakenham-Walsh" <INASP_Health@compuserve.com>]

INDICES> Health Information Forum: Access to reliable drug information
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Dear colleague,

Re: Health Information Forum: 'Access to reliable drug information:
adapting information to the needs of the end user.'

British Medical Association, Tavistock Square, London, Tuesday, 5 September

You are warmly invited to participate in the above meeting, whether by
physical attendance and/or by email contributions. If requested, I will be
delighted to present comments or questions on your behalf at the meeting.

The objective of the meeting is to inform and exchange views and
experiences with a specific focus on ADAPTING information to the needs of the end user.

As background reading, please refer to an article from the May 2000 INASP 
newsletter at <www.inasp.org.uk> The article, 'Access to reliable drug 
information in resource poor countries', by Neil PW and Philippa Saunders, 
provides a brief overview of some of the issues and approaches to improve
access to drug information.

A programme is shown below, and a short report will be posted on the Web at

<www.inasp.org.uk>.

Please contact Neil Pakenham-Walsh at <INASP_Health@compuserve.com> to book
your place.

Neil

On behalf of the HIF organizing group:

Fred Bukachi (SatelLife/HealthNet Kenya)
Andrew Chetley (Healthlink Worldwide)
Christopher Coyer (Tropical Medicine Resource, Wellcome Trust)
Flo Harding (Independent)
Manjit Kaur (ECHO International Services Ltd)
Neil Pakenham-Walsh (INASP-Health) Coordinator
Philippa Saunders (Essential Drugs Project)
Anne Savage (African Medical Research Foundation)
Jean Shaw (Partnerships in Health Information)
Christopher Zielinski (Health Information for Development)

And with thanks to Andrew Herxheimer for his help in organizing this
meeting.
********************
PROGRAMME
Access to reliable *drug information*: adapting information to the needs of
the end user

Tuesday 5 September 2000

15.30  Registration and refreshments

16.00  Plenary session 1
Chair: John Hudson (Publisher, BMJ Books)
HIF business and Email contributions: Neil Pakenham-Walsh

Speakers:
1. Philippa Saunders (Essential Drugs Project) Introduction (5 mins)
2. Dinesh Mehta (Editor, British National Formulary) Main speaker (15 mins)
3. Andrew Herxheimer (Cochrane Collaboration) Information for different
groups:
the Chinese box model (5 mins)

Questions and discussion

16.40  Small-group sessions: exchanging experience in adapting drug-related
and other health
information for different types of prescriber/healthcare providers in
resource-poor settings (eg doctors, pharmacists, nurse prescribers,
community health workers, drug sellers, family members/consumers).

17.20  Rapporteurs: Reports from small groups
 Discussion

18.00 End


The Health Information Forum is run as an activity of INASP-Health, a
cooperative network for organizations and individuals working to improve
access to reliable information for healthcare workers in developing and
transitional countries. Participation is free of charge and without
obligation. INASP-Health is supported by the BMA, Danida, ICSU-Press, and
WHO. INASP is a programme of the International Council for Science (ICSU).
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