Reproductive rights discussion

The Global Reproductive Health Forum has started a new online discussion, Reproductive rights, human rights, to increase information on safe, effective and affordable family planning methods. A different topic will be posted each week, together with a set of relevant discussion questions. To participate go to: http://www.hsph.havard.edu/grhf/discuss

On the web...

The UK’s West Midlands Centre for Adverse Drug Reaction Reporting has developed a web site which includes its adverse drug reaction bulletin going back to 1993: http://www.csmwm.org/

The National Prescribing Centre in the UK aims to facilitate promotion of high quality, cost-effective prescribing. Its web site is at: http://www.npc.co.uk

Tan-discuss

TAN, the TRIPS Action Network, is a network of NGOs working on various aspects of the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS). People working for NGOs can ask to join its electronic list, tan-discuss, by sending a note to: tan-membership@lists.essential.org

Explain who you are, the name of your organization and the work it is doing on TRIPS.

Launch of GDF web sites

The Stop TB Partnership Secretariat is pleased to announce the launch of two new websites: the Global TB Drug Facility (GDF) site http://www.stoptb.org/GDF/, and the GDF/UN WEBBUY site www.stoptb.unwebbuy.org, hosted by the Inter-Agency Procurement Services Office (IAPSO) www.iapso.org. Visit the Stop TB website for the latest information online of all Stop TB Partnership activities at www.stoptb.org

More to see on EDM’s web site

The Department of Essential Drugs and Medicines Policy’s web site continues to expand. As well as introducing the essential drugs concept, national drug policies and the work of WHO and EDM, more of the Department’s documents can be viewed and downloaded in all language versions.

Check us out at: www.who.int/medicines/

Pharmacoeconomics course

The 3^rd international short course on the use of pharmacoeconomics in drug selection, will be held in India from 6-16 February 2002. It has been developed by an international consortium, including departments of clinical pharmacology and public health at the Universities of Newcastle and Sydney, Australia and Birmingham, UK.

The course gives participants an understanding of the principles and techniques of pharmacoeconomics, and how these tools can be used in making decisions about selecting and purchasing pharmaceuticals. Applicants should be working in some part of the academic or public health sector and have some responsibility for drug selection, essential drugs lists or hospital formularies. A basic understanding of the principles of assessing and evaluating data for drug selection are also required.

For further information contact: Suzanne Hill, WHO Collaborating Centre for Training in Pharmacotherapy and Rational Drug Use, University of Newcastle, Australia. E-mail: hillsu@mail.newcastle.edu.au

Managing drug supply

The International Dispensary Association (IDA), of the Netherlands, and Management Sciences for Health, of the USA, are again joining forces to run a two-week course on Managing Drug Supply for Primary Health Care. The aim is to expose participants to modern management principles of drug supply systems, and to teach them how to apply these in their own situations.

The approach will be highly participatory to facilitate an exchange of views and experiences between senior level staff. Major topics will include: national drug policy; selection and quantification of drugs; procurement methods and strategies; quality assurance; kit distribution; financing drug supply; store management; inventory control; distribution strategies; rational drug use; drug supply management information systems; and indicator-based assessments.

The course will take place in September 2002 in the Netherlands. It is intended for physicians, pharmacists, senior health system managers, and technical assistance professionals from ministries of health, NGOs and donor agencies.

For further information contact: IDA-Foundation, P.O. Box 37098, 1030 AB Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Tel: +31 20 4033051, fax: +31 20 4031854.