An analysis of 1999 world health organisation (WHO) guidelines for drug donations for better donation practice in emergency situations

Authors

  • Joep Ahmed Djojodibroto University of Leeds
  • Reinhard Huss Grhasia Mental Hospital

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.31101/jhtam.447
Abstract views 1601 times

Keywords:

Drug donations, WHO guidelines, Emergency situation, Disaster

Abstract

In disasters and emergency situations, a lot of drug and medical supplies comes to the affected area from local or international donors. But, those donations often generate more problems for the recipients. The WHO and major humanitarian organisations developed WHO Guidelines for Drug Donations in 1996. The guidelines based on four core principles which are all donation should benefit the recipient, respect for wishes and authority of the recipient, there should not be a double standard in quality, and effective communication between donor and recipient. The guidelines influenced positively to drug donation practices for several years until 2004. The drug donation practices during 2004 tsunami relief in Sri Lanka and Aceh (Indonesia) showed that the compliance with WHO Guidelines for Drug Donations was low. This study aim was to strengthen the effectiveness of WHO Guidelines for Drug Donations in disaster and emergency situations. While the objectives are to explore the strength and weakness of the WHO Guidelines for Drug Donations and to recommend how to improve the effectiveness of drug donations. In this study, the WHO Guidelines for Drug Donations were analysed using the model of health policy analysis from Walt and Gilson, which is specifically used for analysing health policies. The framework is viewed as a tool to describe the interactions and interconnections systems between content, context, process and groups of actors. The author concludes that presence of donation operator team for drug donations is needed during the emergency situations and it should be stated in the WHO Guidelines for Drug Donations. The WHO needs to encourage donors and recipients to refer to WHO Guidelines for Drug Donations when they are making their own guidelines. The guidelines can be strengthened at country level and adjusted to regulations in the countries. The WHO Guidelines for Drug Donations should state that donations are preferred in form of New Emergency Health Kit (NEHK) or cash donations, and the necessity of information and communication centre in the WHO Guidelines for Drug Donations.

References

ABC News. 2005. Tsunami aid breast implants ‘inappropriate’. ABC News [online]. 9 June [Accessed 13 June 2011]. Available from: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2005-06-09/tsunami-aid- breast-implantsinappropriate/1589092

Asher, R., R. Gray and H. Hogerzeil. 2000. First-year experiences with the interagency guidelines for drug donations. Geneva: WHO.

Ashigbie, P.G. 2011. Drug donations in acute emergencies: the Sri-Lankan tsunami experience shows that World Health Organization drug donation guidelines alone are not enough. School of Public Health [online]. [Accessed 30 June 2011]. Available from: http://moattari.info/guests/paul/

Australian Pharmaceutical Advisory Council (APAC). 2001. Australian guidelines for drug donations to developing country. Canberra: Australian Government Publishing Service.

Autier, P., R. Govindaraj, R. Gray, R. Lakshiminarayanan, H.G. Nassery and G. Schmets. 2002. Drug donations in post-emergency situations. June 2002. Washington: The World Bank.

Benaragama, Bvsh. and R. Fernandopulle. 2007. The expectation, the reality and the burden of drug donation. Colombo: Thisara Printers.

Berckmans, P., V. Dawans, G. Schmets and D. Vandenbergh. 1997. Inappropriate drug donation practices in Bosnia and Herzegovina, 1992 to 1996. The New England Journal of Medicine, 337, pp. 1842-1845.

Bero, L., B. Carson, H. Moller and S. Hill. 2010. To give is better than to receive: compliance with WHO guidelines for drug donations during 2000-2008. Bulletin of World Health Organization, 88, pp. 922-929.

Brr, Un Office Of The Recovery Coordinator, United Nations Development Program (Undp), Asian Development Bank, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (Ifrc) And The World Bank. 2005. Indonesia. [online]. Dec 2005 [Accessed 20 July 2011]. Available from: http://www.searo.who.int/LinkFiles/Publication_&_Documents_countryreportindonesia.pdf.

Buse, K., N. Mays and G. Walt. 2005. Making health policy. London: Open University Press.

Crooks, G. 1998. Drug donation: protecting industry philanthropy. U.S.A.: Pharmaceutical Executive.

Fass. 2011. Rinexin. [online]. [Accessed 10 July 2011]. Available from: http://www.fass.se/LIF/produktfakta/artikel_produkt.jsp?NplID=197904060000 53&DocTypeID=3.

Fernandopulle, R. 2011. Email to Djojodibroto, 5 August.

Hechmann, R. and A. Bunde-Birouste. 2007. Drug donations in emergencies, the Sri Lankan post- tsunami experience. The journal of humanitarian assistance. [online]. 26 September [Accessed 1 June 2011]. Available from: http://sites.tufts.edu/jha/archives/54.

Hogerzeil, H.V., M.R. Couper and R. Gray. 1997. Guidelines for drug donations. British Medical Journal, 314, pp. 737-740.

International Vitamins. 2010. Tylenol. [online]. [Accessed 10 July 2011]. Available from:http://www.internationalvitamins.com.br/index.php? b=bula_do_tylenol_750_mg_caixa_20_comprimidos.

Janssen-Cilag. No date. Tylenol. [online]. [Accessed 10 July 2011]. Available from: http://www.facmed.unam.mx/bmnd/plm_2k8/src/prods/36342.htm.

Khaleej Times Online. 2006. In Indonesia, a tsunami of useless medicines. Khaleej Times [online]. 28 July [Accessed 15 June 2011]. Available from: http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle.asp? xfile=data/todaysfeatures/2006/July/todaysfeatures_July43.xml&section=todaysfeatures.

Maryetty, I.P. and S. Suryawati. 2007. Evaluation of drug donation practice after the Bali bomb tragedy. [Translated from Indonesian]. The Indonesian journal of health service management [Translated from Indonesian]. 10, pp. 64-71.

Meda. No date. Rinexin. [online] [Accessed 10 July 2011]. Available from: http://www.meda.no/helsepersonell/legemidler/productdata/astmaallergiluftveier/rinexin/

Merriam-Webster Dictionary. 2011. Donation. Merriam-Webster [online]. [Accessed 10 June 2011]. Available from: http://www.merriamwebster.com/dictionary/donation.

Ministry Of Health Republic of Indonesia (MoH RI). 2008. [National list of essential medicines (NLEM), 2008 – Indonesia]. [Translated from Indonesian]. Indonesia: Depkes RI.

Ministry of Health Sri Lanka (MoH SL). 2009. National list of essential medicines Sri Lanka. [online]. [Accessed 16 July 2011]. Available from: http://apps.who.int/medicinedocs/documents/s16730e/s16730e.pdf.

National Agency Of Drug And Food Control (NADFC). 2001. [Public warning for drugs with phenylpropanolamine (PPA)]. [Translated from Indonesia]. [online]. 16 April [Accessed 19 July 2011]. Available from: http://www.pom.go.id/e_public/peringatan_publik/detail.asp? id=54&qs_menuid=1.

National Agency Of Drug And Food Control (NADFC). 2011. [About NADFC]. [Translated from Indonesian]. [online]. [Accessed 18 July 2011]. Available from: http://www.pom.go.id/profile/fungsi_badan_POM.asp.

Oxford Dictionaries. 2011. Donation. Oxford Dictionaries [online]. [Accessed 10 June 2011]. Available from: http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/donation.

Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). 2009. Be a better donor: practical recommendations for humanitarian aid. Panama: PAHO.

Pharmaciens Sans Frontières Comité International (PSF-CI). 2005. Study on drug donations in the province of Aceh in Indonesia. [online]. November 2005? [Accessed 4 June 2011]. Available from: http://www.psf.ch/de/pdf/synth_inap_donations.pdf.

Pinheiro, C.P. 2008. Drug donations: what lies beneath. Bulletin of the World Health Organization, 86(8), pp. 580-581.

Reich, M.R. 1999. An assessment of US pharmaceutical donations: players, processes, and products. Boston: Harvard School of Public Health.

Reich, M.R., A.K. Wagner, T.J. Mclaughlin, K.A. Dumbaugh and M. Deraicochin. 1999. Pharmaceutical donations by the USA: an assessment of relevance and time-to-expiry. Bulletin of the World Health Organization, 77(8), pp. 675-680.

Snell, B. 2011. Email to Djojodibroto, 8 August.

Walt, G. and L. Gilson. 1994. Reforming the health sector in developing countries: the central role of policy analysis. Health policy and planning, 9(4), pp. 353-370.

Wikipedia. 2011. Donation. Wikipedia [online]. 26 July [Accessed 29 July 2011]. Available from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donation.

World Health Organization – Regional Office For Eastern Mediterranean (Who Emro). No date. New emergency health kit 98 – detail and packing list. [online]. [Accessed 15 July 2011]. Available from: http://www.emro.who.int/sudan/media/pdf/WHO%20Emergency%20Health %20Kits.pdf

World Health Organization – Regional Office for South-East Asia (WHO SEARO). 2007. Country health system profile: Sri Lanka. [online] 6 August [Accessed 12 July 2011]. Available from: http://www.searo.who.int/EN/Section313/Section1524_10878.htm.

World Health Organization (WHO). 1999. Guidelines for Drug Donations. 2nd edition. Geneva: WHO.

World Health Organization (WHO). 2010. WHO model list of essential medicines. 16th list (updated). [online]. March 2010 [Accessed 10 July 2011]. Available from: http://whqlibdoc.who.int/hq/2010/a95060_eng.pdf.

World Health Organization (WHO). 2011. National list of essential medicines (NLEM), 2008 - Indonesia. [online]. 23 May [Accessed 10 July 2011]. Available from: http://apps.who.int/medicinedocs/en/m/abstract/Js18011en/

Downloads

Published

2018-05-31

How to Cite

Djojodibroto, J. A., & Huss, R. (2018). An analysis of 1999 world health organisation (WHO) guidelines for drug donations for better donation practice in emergency situations. Journal of Health Technology Assessment in Midwifery, 1(1), 40–56. https://doi.org/10.31101/jhtam.447

Issue

Section

Articles

SHARE THIS