The WHO Medicines Strategy Richard Laing Based on materials produced by Hans V. Hogerzeil, Essential Medicines and Pharmaceutical Policies November 2011

2 WHO Essential Medicines Outline of the presentation n Trends in the pharmaceutical scene, strategic landscape n The WHO Medicines Strategy for : ä Access ä Quality ä Rational use n The Essential Medicines Family n Potential areas of collaboration

3 WHO Essential Medicines Trends in global pharmaceutical situation, new challenges for (1) n Recognition that vertical programmes need an integrated approach with horizontal health systems, supply systems n More interest in medicine quality and quality assurance systems; this implies the need for practical global standards and support to national regulatory agencies n Several new global funding mechanisms for essential medicines; these need global health policy direction, global standards and technical support from WHO n More players and partnerships, complicating the landscape; these need a multi-stakeholder ("MOH-plus") approach and coordination at country level

4 WHO Essential Medicines Trends in global pharmaceutical situation, new challenges for (2) n IPR interest shifting from global TRIPS discussion towards technical support to countries; new focus on innovation and public health, inter-governmental process n More interest of Middle Income Countries in medicine issues such as pricing, reimbursement and quality; need for relevant standards and high-level technical support n DG priorities (PHC, Africa, women) implies the need to re- shape PHC, renewed focus on public sector and essential medicines, new focus on reimbursement schemes n Recent WHA resolutions (prices, IPR, rational use, medicines for children); this implies the need for fundraising and recruitment to expand work in these areas

5 WHO Essential Medicines Example of impact of earlier Medicine Strategies:

6 WHO Essential Medicines Examples of country progress in supply:

7 WHO Essential Medicines WHO Medicines Strategy Strategic landscape n Experiences from and Medicine Strategies n Millennium Development Goals n WHO Medium Term Strategic Plan ä Strategic Objective 11 covers access, quality, rational use n Recent WHA resolutions ä Rational use, EMs for children, IGWG Strategic Plan n Stated priorities of the new Director-General ä MDGs, Universal Access through PHC/Health Systems; evidence-based policies; partnerships; health-in-all-policies n Other country needs (if not included in above)

8 WHO Essential Medicines Strategic landscape: Medicine-related Millennium Development Goals MDGsMedicine-related targets by 2015Medicine-related indicators Goal 4: Reduce child mortality Target 5: Reduce <5 mortality rate by 2/313. Under-five mortality rate 14. Infant mortality rate Goal 5: Improve maternal health Target 6: Reduce maternal mortality by ¾16. Maternal mortality ratio Goal 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases Target 7: Reversed spread of HIV/AIDS18. HIV prevalence in pregnancy 19. % condom use in contraception Target 8: Reversed malaria incidence21. Malaria prevalence and death rates 22. Use of malaria prevention and treatment 23. TB prevalence and death rates 24. Proportion cured with DOTS Goal 8: Develop a global partnership for development Target 12: Open, rule-based, predictable, non-discriminatory trading and financial system Target 13: Address special needs of least developed countries Target 17: In cooperation with pharmaceutical companies, provide access to affordable, essential drugs in developing countries 46: Proportion of population with sustainable access to affordable essential drugs

9 WHO Essential Medicines New standard set of indicators for measuring access for WHO/MTSP, UNDP/MDG8 Gap Analysis and Lancet assessment Government commitment: n Access to essential medicines/technologies as part of the fulfillment of the right to health, recognized in the constitution or national legislation (S) n Existence and year of a published national medicines policy (S) Rational selection: n Existence and year of a published national list of essential medicines (S) Affordable prices: n Legal provisions to allow generic substitution in private sector (S) n Median consumer price ratio of 30 selected EMs in pub/private facilities (P) n Percentage mark-up between manufacturers' and consumer price (P) Sustainable financing: n Public and private per capita expenditure on medicines (P) n % of population covered by national health service or health insurance (P) Reliable systems: n Average availability of 30 selected EMs in public/private health facilities (O) (Quantified intuition)

10 WHO Essential Medicines WHO strategic directions in medicines 1: Policy, access (1) n National medicine policies: Continue national policies; new focus on comprehensive PHC, health insurance; in countries more focus on strategic components of medicines policy n Intellectual Property Rights: Continue technical support; new focus on IPR and innovation, new approach to medicine patents n Traditional medicine: Continue support on regulating quality and safety; new focus on integrating with allopathic medicine policies, promoting evidence on efficacy, regulating products and professionals n Access: New focus on separate access indicators and on activities to promote availability, price and affordability

11 WHO Essential Medicines WHO strategic directions in medicines 1: Policy, access (2) n Comprehensive supply systems: Continue promotion of best practices; new focus on private sector, transparency and regulatory approach n Transparency and good governance: New policy guidance on transparency and good governance in pricing, procurement, registration; use to strengthen comprehensive systems n Information and planning: Improve indicators and household surveys; new link with NHAs, IMS-data, IEP surveys to create package of country data and improve planning; new focus on sex- disaggregated statistics n New global funding mechanisms: Continue country support; new focus on guidance and technical support to global funds

12 WHO Essential Medicines WHO strategic directions in medicines 2: Quality n Nomenclature: Continue INN and other nomenclatures; new focus on methods to assign names to biological products n Controlled drugs: Continue treaty obligations on scheduling; new focus on improving access to controlled medicines n Quality: Continue normative work (Expert Committees); new focus on missing EMs for priority diseases and children; tools for assessment of regulatory and supply agencies; regional coordination (link to economic blocs) n Prequalification: Continue PQ of priority medicines; new focus on QClabs, APIs, CROs; advice to diagnostics, RH commodities, vaccines; strong focus on capacity building n Combating counterfeits: Continue developing IMPACT partnership; focus on practical implementation of strategy

13 WHO Essential Medicines WHO strategic directions in medicines 3: Rational use n Selection: Continue evidence-based Model List and EM Library; new focus on EMs for children, methodological guidance within WHO (Guidelines Development Group) n Rational use: Continue global database; new focus on national RU programmes (situation analysis, multi-stakeholder approach, comprehensive health systems, national RU body); new focus on antimicrobial resistance and adherence to chronic treatment; fund- raising n Pharmacovigilance: Continue global ADR programme; new focus on disease-specific cohort methods for priority diseases (malaria, HIV) and active steering of new global interest in pharmacovigilance

14 WHO Essential Medicines World Medicines Situation 2011 n The third edition of the World Medicines Situation Report brings together new data on 24 key topics relating to pharmaceutical production and consumption, innovation, regulation and safety - in one place. n Topics include selection, procurement, supply management, rational use, financing and pricing. Cross-cutting chapters cover household medicines use, access and human rights, good governance, human resources and national medicines policies. n Each chapter of this report is written by a different author. Chapters are being published electronically, in batches, between April and December The new report updates the 1988 and 2004 reports.

15 WHO Essential Medicines World Medicines Situation 2011 n Introduction Introduction n Global health trends: global burden of disease and pharmaceutical needs n Pharmaceutical consumption n Medicine expenditures Released August 2011 Medicine expenditures n Financing medicines n Medicines prices, availability and affordability Released April 2011 Medicines prices, availability and affordability n Access to medicines at the household level (access to health care and medicines: burden of expenditures and risk protection) n Research and development of medicines n Intellectual property, trade and medicines n Regulation of medicines n Quality of medicines: the challenge of globalization n Pharmacovigilance and Safety of Medicines Released August 2011 Pharmacovigilance and Safety of Medicines n Selection of Essential Medicines Released August 2011 Selection of Essential Medicines n Rational use of medicines Released April 2011 Rational use of medicines n Medicines Information and regulation of promotion n Procurement of Medicines Released August 2011 Procurement of Medicines n Storage and supply chain management of medicines n Traditional medicines: global situation, issues and challenges Released April 2011 Traditional medicines: global situation, issues and challenges n Access to controlled medicines Released April 2011 Access to controlled medicines n Good governance of pharmaceutical Sector Released April 2011 Good governance of pharmaceutical Sector n Human resources in pharmaceuticals n Access to Essential Medicines as Part of the Right to Health Released August 2011 Access to Essential Medicines as Part of the Right to Health n National medicines policy n Conclusion

16 WHO Essential Medicines Global Medicines Family n Geneva: Department of Essential Medicines and Pharmaceutical Policies EMP (about 100 staff) n Six regional offices: 2-5 professionals per office n 40 of 100 WHO country offices have full-time pharmaceutical policy experts (about half of them funded through EC funds) n Many external networks: ä Six Expert Advisory Panels (quality, policy, narcotics, selection, etc) ä About 50 WHO Collaborating Centres (centres of excellence) ä Regulators, inspectors, laboratories, INRUD, HAI, safety, INN, pricing ä E-drug, Re-med, e-farmacos, india-drug, etc (over 8000 subscribers) ä Interagency Pharmaceutical Coordination (all UN agencies)

17 WHO Essential Medicines WHO/EMP has many implementation channels MOHOutside MOH: Drug regul. agency, insurance, collab.centers, universities, missions, NGOs, consumers Regional Offices WHO: HIV, MAL, TB, RH, MSD,CAH, HSS (Trad Med) UN: UNICEF, UNAIDS, UNFPA, WBank, GFATM, WIPO, etc Country Offices WHO Department of EMP NGOs: MSF, HAI, MSH, JSI churches, networks, WMA, FIP, IGPA, IFPMA, WSMI, etc National programmes for health professionals, patients and consumers IPC

18 WHO Essential Medicines Essential Medicines and Pharmaceutical Policies (EMP) MAR Medicine Access and Rational Use C.Ondari, Coordinator QSM Quality and Safety: Medicines L.Rägo, Coordinator Carissa Etienne Acting Director Selection of ess. medicines Pricing and financing Supply management Rational Use INN programme Quality Assurance Safety and Efficacy Prequalification Assessment Inspection Capacity building Regulatory support Controlled medicines Blood products and related biologicals MPC Medicine Programme Coordination G.Forte, Coordinator Incorporating MIE Country programme coordination & support Policy guidance Country profiles Good governance & MeTA EHT Essential Health Technology & Medical devices Acting Coordinators Prequalification of Diagnostics Policy guidance on Technology Country Surveys HTA

19 WHO Essential Medicines New areas of work (currently unfunded) n Combating counterfeit medicines n Access to controlled medicines (analgesics, drug abuse) n Promoting rational medicine use, antimicrobial resistance n Access to therapeutic sera (antirabies, snake, scorpions) n Production of global reference standards Recently (partly) funded n Essential Medicines for Children (Gates Foundation) n Pharmacovigilance for new EMs for HIV (Gates Foundation) n Good Governance for Medicines (Germany)

20 WHO Essential Medicines Conclusion: Essential Medicines in November 2011 Good news: n World Medicines Strategy nearly complete n Better access indicators now used for UN/MDGs, MTSP, others n Global norms/standards, prequalification, WHO/HAI pricing methods, 80 country projects and innovative public health thinking lead to solid international reputation, trust by Member States Bad news: n WHO Medicines Programme has nearly become an NGO ä RB 12-20%, CVC 10-12%, Specified Project Funding >70% ä Government contributions stable, foundations strongly increasing ä No donor interest in rational use, comprehensive country support