International conference on strategies for healthy trade and drug policies

Health Action International, Médecins Sans Frontières and the Consumer Project on Technology are organizing an international conference on Globalisation and Strategies for Increasing Access to Essential Drugs on 25-26 November 1999, in Amsterdam. Representatives of public interest NGOs, international organizations, policy-makers, politicians, drug policy experts, health economists, academics, researchers and pharmaceutical manufacturers are invited to discuss how to improve access to essential medicines in an increasingly globalised economy.

For further information contact: Access Conference Secretariat, HAI-Europe, Jacob van Lennepkade 334 T, 1053 NJ Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Fax: + 31 20 68 55 002, e-mail: hai@hai.antenna.nl web site: http://www.haiweb.org

Methodological perspectives in health services

The Royal Danish School of Pharmacy is to offer a postgraduate course on Methodological Perspectives in Health Services, from 30 January to 5 February 2000. The course is primarily for PhD students, but is also open to others with relevant qualifications.

Course topics include: the concept of health services research; research process and methods overview; qualitative research; research ethics; survey methods; methods in pharmacoepidemiology; dissemination and communication of research results; and critical scrutiny of articles.

For further information contact the course leaders: Associate Professor Janine M. Morgall, e-mail: jam@mail.dfh.dk or Professor Ebba Holme Hansen, ehh@mail.dfh.dk

Next INRUD/EDM course

Nigeria will be the venue for the next INRUD/EDM course on Promoting Rational Drug Use, to be held from 16-29 January 2000. As usual course work will be highly participatory and very practically oriented. Topics will include identifying drug use problems, developing and evaluating interventions, and the development of public and prescriber educational materials and campaigns.

For further information contact: Management Sciences for Health, 1515 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 710, Arlington, VA 22209-2402, USA. Tel: + 1 703 524 6575, fax: 1 703 524 7898, e-mail: inrud@msh.org

Pharmacoeconomics in drug selection

An international course on the use of pharmacoeconomics in drug selection will be held in South Africa from 27 March to 8 April 2000. It will provide participants with an understanding of the principles and techniques of pharmacoeconomics, and how these tools can be used in making decisions about selecting and purchasing pharmaceuticals for use in health care systems. The problem-based course has been developed by an international consortium, including departments of clinical pharmacology and public health at the Universities of Newcastle and Sydney (Australia) and Dundee (UK), in collaboration with Management Sciences for Health and WHO/EDM.

Applicants should be working in some aspect of the academic or public health sector, and have some responsibility, either at managerial level or “hands on” level, for selection of pharmaceuticals for essential drugs lists or hospital formularies. They should also have a basic understanding of the principles of assessing and evaluating data for drug selection.

Fees are US$3,000, which includes tuition and course materials, accommodation and meals, and local travel between venues. Participants must find their own sponsorship.

Application forms can be obtained from: Pharmacoeconomics Course Secretariat, School of Pharmacy, MEDUNSA, Pretoria, South Africa. Tel: +27-12-521 4080, fax: +27-12-532 3992, e-mail: medpharm@mweb.co.za Closing date: 18 February 2000.

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

Drug policy issues

A two-week seminar on Drug Policy Issues for Developing Countries will take place in India from 29 November to 10 December 1999. It is intended for policy makers and senior managers responsible for pharmaceutical systems in developing countries, and for senior officials of funding agencies.

The seminar organizers are Boston University School of Public Health, the Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics of Seth G.S. Medical College, and KEM Hospital, in collaboration with WHO.

For further information contact: Drug Policy Issues Admissions Coordinator, Boston University School of Public Health, 715 Albany Street, T4W, Boston MA 02118, USA. Tel: + 1 617 638 5234, fax: + 1 617 638 4476, e-mail: cih@bu.edu