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ANNUAL REPORT 2013-2014
FIGHTING COUNTERFEITS
Patients are unlikely to benefit from fake medicines and may
even come to harm because of them. FIP s action against
substandard/ spurious/falsely- labelled/falsified/counterfeit
(SSFFC) medical products continued in 2013. It was at the table
of European Directorate for the Quality of Medicine and
Healthcare Working Group on Counterfeit Medicines in April 2013,
where it provided its pharma ceutical expertise.
Furthermore, FIP spoke on behalf of the World Health Professions
Alliance at the 134th WHO executive board session in Geneva,
expressing concern that the financing of the workplan on SSFFC
medical products had not been secured and urging member
states to ensure the allocation of appropriate resources. We
stressed the need for action and emphasised that the supply of
these products is facilitated when super vision by healthcare
professionals is deficient. FIP also coordinated the WHPA
campaign against counterfeits which started in India
in October.
PURSUING MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH
Given the unacceptable number of maternal and child
deaths across the globe, FIP believes that there are four
main areas where pharmacists involvement or super vision
is expected, and described them in a new FIP statement of
policy, adopted in August 2013.
Mothers have reported improved access to quality health-
care when pharmacists are involved in their care. The
statement details a number of ways in which pharmacists
can contribute to the care of mothers and children, from
advising on health before pregnancy and identifying
post partum depression to supporting breastfeeding and
providing vaccinations.
DEVISING SOLUTIONS FOR SHORTAGES
Medicines shortages mean patients cannot receive the right
medicines at the right time. As a result of growing concerns
around the world and a request from our member organisation
in Canada, FIP developed the concept of an international
summit, gathering all major stakeholders to examine this
pressing issue. The summit was held in Toronto in June 2013,
producing six recommendations for countries to take forward,
which were presented to the WHO.
Among the recommendations was that countries should
develop a list of vulnerable or critical products so as to identify
those that require more attention in discussions on shortages,
and FIP will be working with international partners on it.
Another example of the recommendations being taken
forward is an initiative by the Department of Health in
Australia to provide information about disruptions in supply
of prescription medicines.
ENCOURAGING ADHERENCE
Adherence goes hand in hand with appropriate medicines use. The
WHO states that interventions to improve adherence would provide
a significant positive return on investment through prevention of risk
factors and of adverse health outcomes. In May 2013, the Community
Pharmacy Section ran a webinar, Targeting adherence: pharmacists
having an impact on patient outcomes and quality of life , in which
several speakers presented pharmacists interventions.
Communication is integral to appropriate medicines use and the FIP
pictogram project has been updated. Pictograms give health
professionals a means of communicating medication instructions to
people with no common language or who may be illiterate, or both.
HEALTH BENEFITS FOR OUR COMMUNITIES
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VIGNETTES 2013/14