QOSLAAYE | Monday, September 18, 2000 - 03:37 am Dear Reader: I was born and raised in Mogadishu, and I certainly used medicines from the local somali pharmacy. However, having know what i know now, you wouldn't catch me buying medicine from any pharmacy, why? You be the judge. Essentially every large village and certainly all cities in Somalia have a number of private shops selling drugs. These private entrepreneurs often have little or no knowledge of the drugs they are selling openly to the public, and no knowledge of the storage and environmental conditions necessary for the safe keeping of these items. Recent laboratory analysis has confirmed the sale of two imported sub-potent anti-TB drugs in two cities in Somalia. These anti-TB drugs were imported into Somalia without the usual required certificates and quality assurance measures. Although WHO continues to test locally-available drugs for efficacy, given current conditions in Somalia, it would be impossible to monitor all drugs entering the country. The continued availability of sub-potent anti-TB and anti-malarials in Somalia is clearly an invitation to disaster, since they generate drug resistance strains. Somali people, humanitarian organisations and the world community stand to benefit from this project through the enforcement of a limited list of essential drugs for Somalia and a better use of those that are available. As a quality improvement programme, its implementation will produce significant cost savings for all, through a better use of a smaller range of essential drugs in Somalia. WHO will continue to provide technical support for the development and implementation of an Essential Drugs List in Coordination with UNICEF, international NGOs and Somali health professionals. The training of an area pharmacist and medical staff in the rational use of drugs is well known to be a cost-effective mechanism in reducing the use of more expensive and ineffective drugs. Adherence to the agreed Essential Drugs List will yield substantial savings for NGOs and UN Agencies, while assuring the Somali population of access to needed items. In-service training courses on the rational use of drugs and good prescription practices will be organised for health workers. The draft modules on rational use of drugs at PHC levels have been field tested and this training module will be finalized and employed under the project. Additional activities include routine surveys of the range, price and origin of drugs in the private market, including those being imported by UN Agencies and NGOs with a view to developing a suitable sustainable drug supply system at all levels. Periodic and routine quality control tests of essential drugs obtained in Somalia will continue and quarterly reports on all suspected drugs will be published. As part of this strategy, suitable and qualified professionals, including NGO national staff will be sponsored to attend management meetings, courses and other training courses in order to enhance their capacity in promoting the rational use of drugs. A clinical pharmacologist will continue the development of the essential drugs listing for Somalia, including standard treatment schedules and protocols. The continued services of pharmacists to promote Essential Drug Concepts (EDC) in Northwest Somalia will provide the needs of technical assistance to the area under development. Strategies to be used will include improving the management of scarce resources, promoting the rational use of drugs and developing human resources. In the Northeast Region, there will be very active efforts to promote the rational use of drugs through the training of various cadres of health service providers, including operators of private pharmacies. This method will also be applied in other parts of the country, where the security situation is stable. ARC, in collaboration with WHO, will provide training in Afmadow to pharmacy operators. A UNV Pharmacist will assist WHO/Somalia's Resident Short-Term Professional Pharmacist in this effort. Be Concern for our families back home....... |