FIP Annual Report 2013 - 14 - FIP Annual Report 2013

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

VIGNETTES 2013/14