Annual Report - FIP

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Annual Report
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decision makers within countries. In Thailand, a 1st Regional Conference on GPP Policy and Plans in
South East Asia was organised by SEARPharm Forum and the GPP project secretariat at the Thai Food
and Drug Administration, supported by WHO SEARO and WPPForum, for representatives from
authorities and professional organisations in 13 countries. The first outcome of this conference was a
joint initiative by the national office of WHO in India and SEARPharm Forum to organise a "National
Conference on Challenges and Opportunities for Pharmacists in Health Care in India".
The pilot project had also created acceptance of FIP and GPP in the host countries. FIP had been invited
to lead various national pharmaceutical conferences in Paraguay, Chile, Thailand and Uruguay. Training
workshops in implementing national strategies on GPP have been successfully conducted with good
feedback from the participants in Denmark, Thailand, Vietnam and Uruguay. In addition to FIP
facilitated study tours in Denmark, Portugal and Spain, these catalysed numerous processes by which
the rational use of medicines was improved so that health can be improved and/or maintained within
these countries.
Notably, the FIP Western Pacific Pharmaceutical Forum has been involved in supporting the writing
of the new GPP statutes in Vietnam and arranging supporting education programs in the country.
The GPP statutes complete the total restructure of pharmacy and the pharmaceutical industry in
Vietnam, having already established new international standards for good manufacturing practice and
good distribution practice. On 23rd February of 2008, the Ministry of Health issued instructions to
boost the application of Good Pharmacy Practices (GPP) standards for all drugstores nationwide. Under
the ministry's regulation, all drugstores of hospitals and drug companies must meet GPP standards
by 2011 to remain in operation and other drugstores by 2013. By June 2008, all companies that own
drugstore chains must each have at least one drugstore meeting GPP standards set by the ministry.
With these positive experiences, the FIP Bureau has also made a set of recommendations for future
projects of such nature.
The FIP Bureau sees a role for FIP, the FIP-Foundation, the Forums and local pharmaceutical
organisations to work collaboratively and synergistically with local and regional organisations to
implement FIP policy, including GPP. The role of FIP in improving the rational use of medicines and
improving and maintaining health could be enhanced in the following ways:
? Policy development
? Creating consistency, continuity and solidarity globally
? Providing limited "seed grants" to support local and regional initiatives
? Providing expertise when needed as a catalyst for implementation at the local and regional level
? Providing an opportunity for education, training, and networking at the FIP Congresses
? Raising the importance of policy issues to financing agents such as WHO and the World Bank
Local and regional organisations also have a role in improving the rational use of medicines by working
with FIP to implement FIP policy including GPP. This collaboration can have advantages such as:
? Lower costs when programmes are coordinated and implemented within local and regional
organizations;