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even for high income countries. Current business models do not always ensure that essential medicines are
always available. This topic will be further discussed with solutions presented during the FIP World Summit on
Medicines Shortages to be held in June 2013.
Examples were also shared of the impact that product design can have on patient safety. Packaging being
prepared by the pharmaceutical industry is assisting in the appropriate procurement management through the
use of bar code technology to help identify medicines and also provide feedback information to the healthcare
system. In addition, attention is being focused on the design of the packaging and patient leaflet to ensure
that information is clear, including the generic name of the medication to reduce multiple use of the same
active ingredient/medicine. To help assess patients understanding of information presented in patient leaflets,
European regulations request that patient information leaflets be developed with the support of patient
associations.
Policy
Policy makers play a key role in taking the time to identify problems within their country context and working
with healthcare professionals, patients and broader stakeholders to create policy, financial and managerial
environments that reward the responsible use of medicines.
Political commitment is required to ensure that there is integrated access to health information to support
seamless patient care and that research and monitoring on the prescription, dispensing and outcomes of
medicines is undertaken to provide real world information to engage in discussions on improvement.
The Council of Europe has recently published pharmaceutical care indicators, developed with the input
of 22 European countries, as a tool to achieve the benefits of responsible use of medicines2 and call upon
governments and policy-makers to apply and become involved in global collaboration on pharmaceutical care.
There is no system in the world where all people would be able to pay privately for all the medicines that they
need. As the political will to ensure access and availability of medicines grows, China and India are taking
important steps to expand coverage of healthcare system to ensure patients can access the medicines they
need. Although, Governments and health insurers, may be willing to pay for the product (i.e. the medicine),
they are often not willing to pay for, or do not consider the importance of, the information, monitoring and
healthcare professional support needed to ensure the responsible use of those medicines. Incentives and
remuneration must be aligned to support changes needed for patients to receive the right medicines.
The numerous successful country experiences shared in the WHO and IMS technical reports provide clear
evidence that policies and guidance are being implemented towards successful change. Greater sharing and
learning from each other’s experiences can help inform and assist in building continued political will, towards
ensuring the environment supports the right medicine to the right patient.
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2 European Directorate of the Quality of Medicines & Healthcare. Pharmaceutical care – policies and practices for a safer, more responsible and cost-effective
health system. Strasbourg: Council of Europe; 2012. Table 1 p.13. Available at: http://www.edqm.eu/medias/fichiers/policies_and_practices_for_a_safer_more_
responsibl.pdf