An article about the Asthma Drug Facility is at http://www.who.int/entity/medicines/publications/monitor/EMM_Issue_5_Aug_art1.pdf . This article is written by Cecile Mace, Karen Bissell and Nils E. Billo from the International Union against TB and Lung Disease, and describes progress to date on what is a very exciting initiative to improve the availability of asthma inhalants. The scheme builds on the examples set by the Global Drug Facility for TB and the WHO Prequalification Programme. The question the article raises is that if this can be done for asthma could a similar approach be used for diabetes or cancer medicines.
The second article, Promoting rational antibiotic prophylaxis in clean surgeries in China, by Yingdong Zheng, Jing Sun, Ying Zhou, Ning Chen, Liang Zhou and Qing Yan looks at a problem that exists in every country, antimicrobial resistance. In this intervention study the authors tested a series of interventions to improve surgical prophylaxis. The URL for the report is http://www.who.int/medicines/publications/monitor/EMM_Issue_5_Aug_art2.pdf. The study was carried out in a network of Chinese hospitals that were undertaking regular review of antimicrobial use. The results of the study were both encouraging and somewhat disappointing. The results showed that while interventions could change practice, follow on interventions were not as successful. The authors mention in the discussion section that "Perverse incentives that exist in the health system have driven doctors to use antibiotics even for those cases for which they are not indicated." I wonder how often this is true when well designed interventions do not have the expected impact!
Richard Laing (Coordinator) and Kathleen Hurst (Editors) Medicine Information and Evidence for Policy, Department of Essential Medicines and Pharmaceutical Policies World Health Organization CH-1211 Geneva 27, Switzerland Tel 41 22 791 4533 Fax 41 22791 4167 E-mail laingr@who.int
