Essential Drugs Monitor No. 025-026 (1998)
(1998; 36 pages) [French] [Russian] [Spanish]

Table of Contents

	Editorial. Managing Drug Supply
		Health reform and drug financing
		How “topping-up” improved drug management at a small clinic in Ghana
		Good drugs at low cost: Thailand’s provincial collective bargaining system for drug procurement
		Drug supply choices: what works best?
		“Contracting-out” drug procurement and distribution: experience with a primary distributor system in South Africa
		Improving the supply, quality control and access to essential drugs in Guatemala
	National Drug Policy
		Belarus: progress in the pharmaceutical sector
		Involving African consumers in drug policy
		Zimbabwe launches National Drug Policy
	Research
		Improving quality of care in Hai Phong Province
		Survey highlights failings in public education in rational drug use
		Advantages of pre-packaged antimalarials
	Training
		Course offers flexible approach to community-based health education
		Personal formulary system helps university students
	Newsdesk
		Addressing supply issues in the Eastern Caribbean
		Change at WHO
		Rational use conference in Palestine
		Executive Board acts on Revised Drug Strategy
		African countries share information on drug prices
		First national formulary for Australia
		UK study says patients not receiving information they need
		Controlling research data and updating for the Internet: journal editors revise guidelines
		IDA celebrates and looks to the future
		Primary health care systems for the 21st Century - the need for vision and values
		Increased local production of essential drugs on agenda in Africa
		Brazil’s doctors turn on to evidence-based medicine
		Goodbye AHRTAG, welcome Healthlink Worldwide
		Drugs sold on Internet: WHA acts
	Drug Information
		Getting the message across: communications and pharmacovigilance
		Improving drug information in Moldova
		United and committed: Asia-Pacific’s drug bulletin editors meet
	Meetings & Courses
	Netscan
	Letters to the Editor
	Published Lately
	Rational Use
		Pharmacotherapy discussion groups in the Netherlands under the spotlight
		Essential drugs concept needs better implementation
		New Belgian committee promotes rational prescribing
		MSF Research Group on Essential fighting for the underprivileged
		Pakistan’s largest Province focuses on drug sector reform
		Making injections safe
		CDMU’s new leadership training on rational use of drugs
		Stepping beyond with Community-Directed Treatment

Essential Drugs Monitor No. 025-026 (1998)

DOUBLE ISSUE - N^o 25 & 26 (1998)

The Essential Drugs Monitor is produced and distributed by the WHO Action Programme on Essential Drugs. It is published in English, French, Spanish and Russian, and has a global readership of some 200,000 to whom it is free of charge. The Monitor carries news of developments in national drug policies, therapeutic guidelines, current pharmaceutical issues, educational strategies and operational research.

WHO’s Action Programme on Essential Drugs was established in 1981 to provide operational support to countries in the development of national drug policies and to work towards the rational use of drugs. The Programme seeks to ensure that all people, wherever they may be, are able to obtain the drugs they need at the lowest possible price; that these drugs are safe and effective; and that they are prescribed and used rationally.

All correspondence should be addressed to:

The Editor
Essential Drugs Monitor
World Health Organization
CH-1211 Geneva 27, Switzerland
Fax: +41 22-791-4167
e-mail: DAPMAIL@WHO.CH