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This article discusses the development and implementation of Good Pharmacy Practice (GPP) in developing countries, with a focus on improving professional standards and access to pharmaceutical services. It explores the importance of GPP in achieving better outcomes and developing the pharmacy profession. The article also provides recommendations for step-wise implementation of GPP in different components of pharmaceutical services, including personnel, training, standards, and legislation. The guidelines for GPP have been distributed to developing countries, with Ghana being an example of successful implementation.
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Development and Implementation of Good Pharmacy Practice in Developing Countries Mrs. Bente Frokjaer Secretary Community Pharmacy Section of FIP
International Pharmaceutical Federation - FIP • FIP is a world-wide federation of national pharmaceutical associations • FIP’s mission is to represent and serve pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences around the globe • Through its member associations, FIP connects, represents and serves more than one million pharmacists and pharmaceutical scientists around the world.
FIP Community Pharmacy Section The aims of the Section are • to improve professional standards of the profession and encourage the realisation of the social aims of the profession • to plan and be responsible for the activities of FIP in the field of community pharmacy in particular.
Health is a human right • “…. Health is a fundamental human right and the attainment of the highest possible level of health is a most important world-wide social goal”. • Adequate pharmaceutical service, ideally provided by pharmacists, is a vital component of Primary Health Care. • Both FIP and WHO believe that national pharmaceutical associations in individual countries are best able to decide what can be achieved in terms of Good Pharmacy Practice and within what timescale.
AIMS To help developing countries achieve Good Pharmacy Practice by devising a set of guidelines that can be adapted by stepwise implementation. The overall aim is the striving towards ever-higher standards of practice for the benefit of the patients and the community being served: • by achieving better outcomes • by developing the profession
Method A questionnaire was distributed to 171 developing countries. The questionnaire should give an overview of: • availability of pharmacies, pharmacists and support staff or health workers • education and training of pharmacists and of pharmacy support staff • existing standards for pharmacy practice • legislation on distribution and dispensing of medicine.
Results The Working Group received responses from a wide range of countries. Replies were received from countries in South and Central America, Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia and Oceania. The replies showed big differences in levels of practice, availability of pharmacies and pharmacists, in level of education and in regulation of medicine distribution and dispensing.
Recommendations Recognizing differences in levels of practice the Working Group recommends a step-wise implementation of Good Pharmacy Practice. Each association and person can identify the “step” on which they are currently operating and work towards reaching the next step, thereby continually improving the quality of pharmaceutical service offered to their community. The step-wise implementation can be applied to a number of different components of pharmaceutical services.
Recommendations The recommendations focus on four areas: • Personnel • Training • Standards • Legislation and national drug policy
Stepwise implementation PERSONNEL Aim: all people should have access to a qualified pharmacist Step 1: Access to a community health care worker with appropriate pharmaceutical training Step 2: Access to a person trained to a higher level than community health care worker Step 3: Access to a qualified pharmacy technician with appropriate training Step 4: Direct access to a pharmacist.
NATIONAL DRUG POLICY- stepwise NATIONAL DRUG POLICY Aim: Ensuring equitable access to safe andeffective drugs of good quality by establishing a National Drug Policy. Pharmacists must be involved in all policy decisions that effect distribution and use of medicines and related products. Step 1: Establish a National Drug Policy based upon WHO Guidelines Step 2: Create a suitable Essential Drug List.
Implementation The guidelines have been sent to all developing countries and are available on www.fip.org. At present the guidelines are being followed in Ghana as a support in step-wise implementation of Good Pharmacy Practice.
