Pharmacists have been at the forefront of a number of services to reduce drug-related harm, the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) told the 70^th World Health Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland, yesterday.

Examples highlighted by FIP included needle exchange programmes, opioid substitution therapy, promotion of responsible use of medicines with high risk of addiction, and educational campaigns in Portugal, France and the USA. Ministers were told that FIP is currently preparing a report on the contribution of pharmacists in harm reduction strategies, due to be published later in the year. 

FIP has requested that pharmacists’ perspectives and experiences are included in the World Health Organization mechanism for surveillance of psychoactive substances.

This statement was among five that FIP made at WHA70. They can be accessed below:

• Antimicrobial resistance (Agenda item 12.2)
• Human resources for health and implementation of the outcomes of the United Nations’ High-Level Commission on Health Employment and Economic Growth (Agenda item 13.1)
• Addressing the global shortage of, and access to, medicines and vaccines (Agenda item 13.3)
• Preparation for the third High-level Meeting of the General Assembly on the Prevention and Control of Non-communicable diseases, to be held in 2018 (Agenda item 15.1)
• Public health dimension of the world drug problem (Agenda item 15.3)

Recordings from the assembly are available here