The indicator values in Table 6 reflect the areas of work of countries and all sectors working to achieve the objectives of pharmaceutical policies and programmes. They do not give the whole picture, but nevertheless provide important information for reviewing the performance of governments and others, and in assessing improvements (or otherwise) within a country's pharmaceutical sector.

Most of the 26 country progress indicators use data obtained from the World Drug Situation 1999 survey and the WHO database of pharmaceutical country information as their baseline. Target values for 2003 have been set as expected progress for each target outcome. These values will be used as a reference point when identifying country pharmaceutical strategies and activities to be promoted and supported.

Most of the country progress indicator values simply indicate whether a country has certain structures and mechanisms in place (yes/no), and has established certain procedures (yes/no). For some country progress indicators, data have been grouped and classified by range of percentage (for example, percentage of population with access to essential drugs) and according to date of updating (for example, a national drug policy updated within the last 10 years).

Several variables have been grouped together as the minimum criteria necessary for ensuring implementation of a particular component of a pharmaceutical strategy or plan. These composite indicators based on several variables are clearly more robust than indicators based on a single variable. The indicators with composite variables are:

Table 6 Country progress indicators for components of WHO Medicines Strategy 2000 - 2003

Key:

S country progress indicator that provides information on structure

P country progress indicator that provides information on process

O country progress indicator that provides information on outcome

S + P composite country progress indicator that provides information on both structure and process

* data will be collected in 2000 and the 2003 target set

** i.e. UNDCP accepted two out of three of WHO’s recommendations concerning substances for international control

Country progress indicator no. 9 Countries with public health insurance covering drug costs meaning that: not only does a public health insurance system exist but that it reimburses patients' drug costs.

“Evaluation is different from monitoring. The word is derived from value... Evaluation involves taking a step back to look at the program as a whole, to assess progress toward achieving goals by fulfilling objectives.”

Management Sciences for Health/World Health Organization, 1997. ⁵⁰

Country progress indicator no. 14 Countries operating basic drug regulatory system including: a law on drug registration; a law on drug manufacturing or importation of drugs; inspection of either retail outlets or manufacturers; drug registration by the drug regulatory authority; a drug registration list.

Country progress indicator no. 15 Countries with basic quality assurance procedures including: request for proof of good manufacturing practices when an application for drug registration is made; either sampling of drugs for public procurement or sampling of drugs at retail outlets; drug quality testing.

Country progress indicator no. 20 Countries with basic system (including legislation) for regulating pharmaceutical promotion including: law on drug promotion which was established less than 10 years ago; regulation of drug promotion by the government or co-regulation of drug promotion by the government and the pharmaceutical industry; regulation of drug advertisements.

Country progress indicator no. 21 Countries with drug information centre able to provide independent information to prescribers and/or dispensers meaning that: not only does such a centre exist but that it actively provides information as requested by prescribers and/or dispensers.

Country progress indicator no. 26 Countries with drug information/service accessible to consumers meaning that: not only does such a centre exist but that it actively provides information as requested by consumers.

During implementation of the Medicines Strategy 2000 - 2003, the criteria for composite indicators will be refined further, and additional composite indicators identified.