Advice on supply chain logistics

Understanding supply chain logistics for health products in developing countries can help organizations and individuals to donate responsibly. The DELIVER project offers a number of free publications that address this topic. Publications explain the importance of estimating the demand for supplies, maintaining optimal supply levels, and avoiding expiration and overstocks. One of these resources includes a large wall chart that outlines proper storage guidelines for health commodities. For further information check out: http://www.deliver.jsi.com

Publications are available on the web site or can be ordered by e-mailing: deliver_pubs@jsi.com

EDM's web site

The Department of Essential Drugs and Medicines Policy's web site continues to grow and is increasingly user-friendly. 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 downloaded in all language versions. Recent additions include How to Develop and Implement a National Drug Policy and WHO Model Prescribing Information Series: Drugs used in Bacterial Infections.

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

MSH launches electronic newsletter

Focus on Pharmaceutical Management is a new e-mail-based publication from Management Sciences for Health, which will come out three times a year. It is intended for health care professionals interested in pharmaceutical management developments worldwide, and for donors and other concerned organizations. Each issue will focus on upcoming conferences, publications of interest, and recent developments and achievements in pharmaceutical programmes and projects. To subscribe contact: cpm@msh.org

New site on HIV/AIDS drugs

The AIDS Treatment Activist Coalition (ATAC), launched in September 2001, has a web page for sharing information about companies making HIV/AIDS drugs and diagnostics: http://www.atac-usa.org/Pharmanotes.html

Trade papers on Quaker web site

The Quaker Office at the United Nations web site at http://www.quno.org offers access to several papers on trade issues and pharmaceuticals. These include two covering TRIPS and the WTO Doha Ministerial Conference by Fred Abbott, and another paper by Michael Gollin, entitled Generic Drugs, Compulsory Licensing and other Intellectual Property: Tools for Improving Access to Medicine.

ARV monitoring tools on the web

In November 2001, Gay Men's Health Crisis and Project Inform held a workshop on immunological and virological monitoring and diagnostic tools for the management of antiretroviral therapy in the developing world. The workshop presentations are available online at: http://www.virology-education.com

Drug Policy Issues course materials available

The visual aids used during the Drug Policy Issues in Developing Countries course (organized by Boston University's School of Public Health), in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, have been posted on the web: http://dcc2.bumc.bu.edu/richardl/DPI2001/programme.htm

No Free Lunch changes

The new No Free Lunch web site is up and running at: http://www.nofreelunch.org

There is also a new address to post on the listserve: nofreelunchserv@nofreelunch.org (note no "e" at the end of "nofreelunchserv").

No Free Lunch provides a forum for the exchange of ideas among those concerned about the influence of drug promotion. Members include physicians, pharmacists, dentists, nurses and medical ethicists.

International Pharmaceutical Federation site

The International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) is a world-wide federation of national pharmaceutical associations. Its web site provides links to online journals and discussion groups, as well as policy statements and guidelines for improving the profession and science of pharmacy. Learn more at: http://www.fip.nl

Science on the Internet

SciDev.Net is a free-access, Internetbased network devoted to reports and discussions on modern science and technology that are relevant to sustainable development, and particularly to developing countries' social and economic needs. Launched in December 2001, SciDev.Net will be of interest to scientists, journalists, government decision-makers, international aid agencies and NGOs. The web address is: http://www.scidev.net

Intellectual property rights and developing countries

The UK Government's independent Commission on Intellectual Property Rights examines how intellectual property rights can work better for poor people and developing countries. Its web site includes several useful papers on the issue: http://www.iprcommission.org/meetingsIndex.asp

Useful listserve

Public Citizen has a useful listserver with links to pharmaceutical industry stories. Subscribe by sending a note to April Greener, at agreener@citizen.org, or telephone + 1 202-454-5113.

EU Quality of Medicines site

The web site for the European Directorate for Quality of Medicines, which is responsible for producing the European Pharmacopoeia, is at: http://www.pheur.org

Full text journals on the web

FreeMedicalJournals.com is dedicated to promoting free access to full text medical journals. It lists links to over 500 journals covering areas such as pharmacology, public health, infectious diseases, tropical diseases and epidemiology.

Check it out at: http://www.freemedicaljournals.com

The new PubMedCentral web site: http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/ provides an archive of full text life sciences journals. Other sites of interest are SciELO: http://www.scielo.org that focuses on South Amercian science journals and Parasitology Online: http://www.parasitology-online.com

Promoting Rational Drug Use in the Community course

The 3rd international Promoting Rational Drug Use in the Community course will be held from 3 - 16 November 2002 in Bangkok, Thailand. For further details see p 7.

New course to teach modern management principles

The dates for the next International Dispensary Association/Management Sciences for Health course have been set for 16 - 27 September 2002 and the venue will be Volendam, The Netherlands. The course exposes participants to modern management principles of drug supply systems, and teaches them how to apply these in their own situations. 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, e-mail: rtol@ida.nl